Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I visited the medical card centre with other members of the health committee. One of the things that really struck me about it - in a sense it reflects some of the worst aspects of the Civil Service - was that one would never have found the office if one did not get good directions. There was barely a sign on the door to indicate it was an office of the HSE. It is located behind a garage, just off the M50 as one heads into Finglas. In a sense, it reflects a frame of mind that one tries to put as much distance between oneself and the public as possible, even though a public service is being provided. I find this unacceptable. I know that, as public representatives, we must make representations on medical cards, but in most cases it should not be necessary for the public to come to us; they should be able to deal directly with the HSE and with the same person once they get to talk to a person rather than being sent from one to the other. While there have been some improvements in how the service has operated, I find the general approach unacceptable.