Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate and I acknowledge the presence of the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children and the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley.

Unlike my colleague, Deputy Gormley, I do not have a book written by a party member to promote. I must pass on that opportunity. This is important legislation and it is important that we debate it in the time allowed. There is pressure to pass the Bill because many people are awaiting its enactment.

I too lament the passing of health boards. I was elected to Dublin County Council in 1991 and was nominated to be a member of the Eastern Health Board in 1994. I was delighted to be given that opportunity and to gain that experience. Working on the health board, I learned about the working of the health service at first hand. I have also had the opportunity to serve on hospital boards, including the board of St. James's Hospital and the board of Tallaght hospital, which I first joined in 1987. I enjoyed my time on the Eastern Health Board. Subsequently, I was nominated by the council to the South Western Area Health Board. I became the founding chairman of that body and was a member of the Eastern Regional Health Authority. I value the experience I gained of the workings of the health board. For most of that period, my good friend, Deputy Callely, was chairman of the Eastern Health Board and of the Eastern Regional Health Authority and was a great help to many of us. I valued that period of my political life and I enjoyed it hugely. While I lament the passing of the health boards, I accept that times change and things move on. We are now trying to achieve a different model. Like all models, it will not be perfect in the first instance but we must work on these things.

As a Fianna Fáil backbencher, I am not afraid to say that when huge amounts of public money are being put into the health services — more than €11 billion this year — it is right that we demand proper services and facilities. We demand that sick people who turn up at accident and emergency units, whether walking wounded or in ambulances, be facilitated properly and given a hospital bed as quickly as possible. I am not talking about people with cracked finger nails. I have little sympathy for such people or for those who turn up at accident and emergency units the worse for drink. I am talking about people who are genuinely sick. We must continue to exert pressure to ensure that such people are facilitated. This pressure must be maintained throughout the country and not only in my constituency. Public representatives are often called upon to intervene on behalf of families and to calm people when their relatives are in accident and emergency units. Every opportunity should be taken in this Chamber to support that view. I have heard comparisons being made with other jurisdictions but until we reach that situation we must keep the pressure on.

I have always supported the accountability of health boards. In fairness, the political system served the health boards well, even though I often saw criticism being levelled from fairly eminent people around the country, including Dublin, who did not quite see the contribution of politicians in that positive way. Unfortunately, that criticism created a different sort of view, although many politicians, including councillors, served the health authority and its predecessors well.

I want to put on the record the great work that was done over the years by the association of health boards under the chairmanship of Mr. Jack Burke who did a tremendous job. I hope the Minister will examine ways in which people of such expertise will have an input under the new legislation.

I have strong views about representation on hospital boards. I was first appointed to the planning board of Tallaght Hospital in 1987 by the then Minister for Health, Deputy Rory O'Hanlon. He asked me to serve at that level and bring a local perspective to the work of the board. I remember attending my first meeting of the board in Harcourt Street and asking the chairman and members when we would meet in Tallaght. I almost caused consternation because that was not done at the time. I and others brought that Tallaght feel to the board. Even when I was on the board of St. James's Hospital I tried to do that, as did other colleagues.

Where the Eastern Regional Health Authority's nominees have lapsed it should be understood that there is still a need for local representation. I recently made representations to the Tánaiste, asking her to look at that gap. As far as Tallaght is concerned, other than the nominees of the National Children's Hospital, the Adelaide Hospital, the Meath Hospital and the archbishop, the charter does not provide for other representation. I hope that matter will be examined. I also appeal to those in a position to nominate members through that process — and I am talking specifically about Tallaght — to look at nominating more local people. It is important to have a local perspective on all hospital boards, along with the required professional expertise. I have already made that point to the Tánaiste and I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, will take it on board. Hopefully, it will come to fruition.

We must support the health services in our respective regions. Normally, I would not make a Tallaght speech but it is important for me to talk about my constituency for a while.

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