Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am even more shocked to hear that a Bill is being introduced to deal with this issue. Legislation is not required. Every one of the 1.2 million people who went through the door of a hospital last year has a PPS number. We do not need to waste time drafting legislation to identify them. It would amount to another PPARS if we were to use resources to design a system that is already operating in other Departments and offices. There should be no money spent in the Department of Health or the HSE on this issue. The delegates' job is to deliver health services; several Departments could sort out this administrative issue for them. I do not accept the need for legislation to be drafted to cope with this. If that is the mindset in the Department, then it is a classic example of the silo approach, with each Department or body going off and doing its own thing instead of working together to serve the public. If we are to achieve anything in terms of public efficiency, we will have to break down this silo mentality and tell whomever is drafting that legislation to concentrate on health and let somebody else do the administration. I am shocked at this situation.