Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)

I support Deputy Mitchell on amendment No. 17. The Minister knows that the system does not work that way. Rail safety is a valid public interest issue. As public representatives, we should have the right to raise such issues in the Dáil and the Minister should be accountable to it for performance on rail safety.

This is part of a general development that has taken place under the Government and its predecessor, where ever increasing numbers of outside agencies are being set up at arm's length from the Minister with no accountability to the Dáil. It is bad practice which, as Deputy Mitchell stated, makes this House more irrelevant. It also lets the Minister — Deputy Cullen must bear in mind that he will not always be the Minister — off the hook entirely. It is all very well to say the commission can be invited to appear before the Joint Committee on Transport. As the Minister will be aware, that may happen once a year or less frequently. There is a need to put a mechanism in place whereby there can be accountability on an ongoing basis to those of us who represent the public. I ask the Minister to seriously reconsider his position on this amendment in the interests of democracy and accountability.

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