Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Chairman, I was going to say that was astonishing, but it is not. In some ways it is nearly par for the course in terms of the slow response rate of certain Departments and agencies to this committee. I have had correspondence from Ms Mary Farrell on behalf of the families of the wards of court. They are extremely disappointed, frustrated and angry at this stage that not alone is the committee left waiting for the Department's response but, more important, they are left in this position. I cannot understand the attitude of the Department that they can disregard the committee. They have had the report provided by the PAC since July 2015 and have had ample time and opportunity to respond, and now at the conclusion of this Dáil we have not received its response. It will fall to the next committee which must be firm and insistent that when a response is sought by the Committee of Public Accounts, it is supplied in a speedy fashion. It shows the level of contempt for the Committee of Public Accounts and the parliamentarians who are on the committee, but most disgracefully it shows a level of contempt for the families who are directly affected by the issue of ward of court and the fund itself. The families have been left hanging.

In the course of today's meeting with the representatives from the HSE, we will discuss the culture of that organisation, the deficiencies and the issue of accountability. The attitude of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to the Committee of Public Accounts and the families involved reflects a major problem of accountability and an issue around its response to the families and to the committee.