Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The leopard has not changed its spots and what happened yesterday is typical of this Government. Whether that relates to leaking tunnels, rails coming apart or money going astray, it is all small change in the Government's eyes. With regard to the proposed statements, why did the Tánaiste not come into the House yesterday to make a statement? We are being asked to approve retrospectively the Appropriation Bill 2005, which the House passed but on which consent was not given for this practice.

After nine years of these parties in Government, we still do not know how many people work in the health service, how much they are paid or how money is spent. The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children promised that when the Health Service Executive was set up, it would result in a bright new world of effective accountability of the use of public money in the health services. However, we now find the HSE has driven a coach and four through these practices.

During last November and December, the Tánaiste will recall that I asked her whether she was aware of the difficulties the former health boards were having in meeting payments to suppliers and in regard to their cash flow. She denied knowledge of the HSE having such difficulties. I have been told that in December the shackles were taken off by the HSE and substantial amounts were paid into particular accounts for activities in which former health boards were involved. The Tánaiste must answer questions on this.

Prior to the statements being taken later, is she satisfied that financial controls and arrangements within the HSE are effective? Does the decision to make the chief executive officer the Accounting Officer need to be revisited? What is the breakdown between pay and non-pay items in the HSE? Finally, and most importantly, when did the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children and the Government become aware of the practice of the HSE using capital funding for current purposes? We need to know that now.

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