Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

I am conscious that time is very limited, but I ask that this matter not be guillotined. This legislation is disturbingly retrogressive. It eliminates all public scrutiny and accountability from the activities of health boards and has not been properly debated in this House. On Committee Stage, amendments were found not to be in order by a chairman who was clearly not fully informed regarding his role in striking them down. We did not have a proper debate on Committee Stage. This matter is of public interest. If this Bill is passed as it stands, CEOs of health boards will be like despots, they will be able to make decisions on behalf of boards that no longer exist. They will be able to buy and sell land, deal with property and implement the Hanly report without democratic accountability. We have one amendment on Report Stage, which has been introduced by the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, and it is likely that it will not be reached. This is a very "milk and water" response to the serious complaints and issues that have been raised by Opposition Deputies, including myself, about the ending of the democratic input into our health services.

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