Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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I am trying to strike a balance, but I encounter this problem in my constituency on a daily basis. I had meetings with representatives of the HSE on Sunday and Monday. There is a disconnect in the HSE between those who deliver front-line services and management. Is there workforce planning because if there is, it is very poor? Members heard earlier that the HSE had a national working group, but it has only had one meeting with the previous delegates. We have heard that there has been no proper engagement or no medical engagement. This happens all the time with the HSE and it dates back to the time of its establishment when this buffer was put in place by a Government of which I accept I was a supporter. Members had fought for years because they were not getting replies from the Minister who had no responsibility for the HSE. It is a fact that the HSE appears to be a law unto itself and that it operates outside the law in many areas with regard to health and safety issues.