Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)

Probably the most important power or right ordinary Members of the House have is to ask a parliamentary question and be guaranteed a reply. I will proceed to promised legislation in a moment but I put down three parliamentary questions on 25 January to the Minister for Health and Children. She referred the questions to this famous section in the HSE that is supposed to answer parliamentary questions. I put down further questions on 16 February asking the Minister when I would get a reply. The replies I received on 16 February stated there was an oversight in referring the questions, that they were inadvertently not referred and that I would get a reply in a couple of days.

These questions were asked on 25 January. They are straightforward questions. Members are entitled to replies in accordance with the law as established by this House. The unit that is supposed to reply to these questions should do so through the Minister and the House. It is not appropriate that the questions we ask in the House are answered privately, sometimes by telephone. Will the Tánaiste reconsider the section of the Bill that does not require the HSE to answer through her office? If the unit answered through the Tánaiste's office, the replies would be on the record of the House. It is a major retrograde step for the rights of Members that we cannot ask questions and get replies. It is taking two months to get replies to straightforward questions.

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