Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

The points that have been raised by other Deputies are very important. Over the past couple of weeks I have put down questions to the Minister for Health and Children and there has been a long delay in getting replies. I put down a supplementary question asking when the answers would issue. The reply was that the replies would issue that day. It is a magic formula because they issued on that day. It is not a coincidence. That question was the spur that extracted the information. It is bizarre.

In one of the questions, I sought to highlight the fact that the Minister has now adopted a practice of kicking to touch a greater number of parliamentary questions than any previous Minister for Health and Children. The Department replied that in excess of 45% of all parliamentary questions put down to the Minister are kicked to touch by being referred to the HSE for long delayed responses. In the case of the Minister's predecessor, the current Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, it was just under 30%. There has been a 50% increase — from just under 30% to over 45% — in the number of parliamentary questions to the Department of Health and Children that are kicked to touch and not replied to officially or properly by the Minister or her Department. The important point is that they are not on the record. This is an important issue. It must be addressed and rectified by the Minister. Members are not raising these issues for the sake of filling the Order of Business; there are many other issues we wish to address.

Having offered that criticism and asked the Tánaiste to address it, I welcome the report of Patient Focus and those it represents arising from its meeting with the Minister yesterday. I commend the Minister and her Department for meeting the requirements of Patient Focus and the victims of Dr. Neary. I hope the formula for redress which the Tánaiste is due to present shortly will meet with the expectations——

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