Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I object to the Minister of State resorting to insulting the Members who expressed their genuine concerns about the purpose of this Bill. The Fianna Fáil mantra for this election is to criticise the Opposition for not engaging in debate. We are looking for a debate. Last week it was the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Hanafin, making the same comment; the week before it was somebody else. The Government is losing touch with reality. It is very reasonable not to support the circling of the wagons to ensure there is no opposition, no questioning and no scrutiny of the setting up of a new health service executive.

We accept the need for new structures and agree with the reform of the health service but what we are being given is auld guff and false promises. We are told we will have a complaints procedure but what good is that in an accident and emergency department when a patient is left with his or her leg hanging off? The proposed establishment of consumer panels to scrutinise the health service is like saying that having had the BCG, one is qualified to run a health service. It is a nonsense and an insult to the intelligence of the public.

It is proposed that elected representatives will have the opportunity to debate matters at regional fora. The reality is that approximately ten years ago the Government abolished local health committees as they were a pointless exercise. Who will question chief executive officers when they make decisions in the next six months? Will they continue to make the decisions? We have an interim health executive which, as far as I can see, is absolutely lost and in a complete tizzy as every day there is a new hybrid Hanly report being offered, which it is charged with implementing. The reality is that we need to debate the health service. I support the motion.

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