Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome amendment No. 69, in which the Minister has provided for copies of these reports to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas. As we discussed earlier, hundreds of documents are laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. It is very important for a mechanism to be found to ensure the reports are discussed at the relevant health committee every year. I do not know whether that should be in the legislation. Perhaps it is a decision to be made by the committee itself. I outlined my fear, which is shared by many people, in relation to section 9. The Minister believes we are incorrect and does not think it will happen the way we fear. I hope he is right. Given that he is putting great store on this reporting mechanism as a means of ensuring what we fear might happen does not, it is important for these reports to come before this committee for discussion and debate as a matter of course, rather than merely being laid before the Houses, which as we all know simply involves being placed in the Oireachtas Library. I do not know how many Deputies are cognisant of all the stuff that goes into the Library. If that were to be agreed, and in view of the fact that the Minister is going to publish these reports in this way, I will not press amendment No. 70. In such circumstances, the Minister's proposal would have the same effect as what I am proposing. I am keen to put in place an early warning system, in case the numbers start increasing dramatically under section 9, to ensure it is possible to investigate whether the law is acting properly.