Mr. Austin O'Sullivan:

From our experience there had been a very collaborative relationship with the HSE and every area had its own development committee where each organisation met its HSE people to discuss issues being faced by its region and how best to deal with those issues. The relationship with the HSE is now purely a transactional one. There is no partnership and no coming together to solve the needs of the cohort. We find that the person we meet face to face has no power to decide on even the smallest thing. Everything has to be sent up and we could be waiting for years before the answer comes back down. The efficiency of communication between the sector and the HSE certainly has an impact on the ability of organisations to do their day-to-day work.