Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I echo the remark that it is a disgrace the Minister for Health and Children is not here to take this Stage of a Bill that has serious consequences for the delivery of health care in this jurisdiction. With all respect, I think the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Lenihan, made a disgraceful reference to the Monaghan Deputies who have moulded together all opinion, including that of Fianna Fáil Members, though they jumped ship. We have never made a party political issue of this and have endeavoured to be a community of all views, which is to the credit of all Opposition voices in this Chamber.

In this instance we are being asked to provide a blank cheque for the chief executive officers currently at the head of the respective health boards. I would not give a blank cheque, with no conditions as to accountability, to the chief executive officer of the North Eastern Health Board, nor would I offer the Government a blank cheque for the health service or any other matter of public concern, with no scrutiny or accountability. It is an absolute disgrace. What we face is the diktat of the chief executive officers and we know the agenda they are pursuing. We know this better than most in the North Eastern Health Board where we have been exposed to it time and again since the appointment of the chief executive officer.

The Minister of State failed to pick up on the very important point I made. I am passionate about the loss of critical services at any hospital site in this jurisdiction, as are Deputies Crawford and Connolly and everybody who has spoken in the debate bar the Minister of State. It is not a parochial position we take. We pointed out that the loss of services in Monaghan and Dundalk would be used as a template in the future, which has proved to be the case. We have no doubt that is exactly as it will happen. The diminution of services at any hospital site, from Kerry to Donegal, diminishes each and every one of us as we do not know when we will be dependent upon them. Even now, this Bill should be withdrawn.

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