Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

Only a couple of years have elapsed since the then Minister, who is now the Minister for Transport, introduced a Bill before this House to abolish the dual mandate. He almost cried in the House, such was his dedication to the task before him and his sincerity regarding how in future, all matters that had been under the Minister's control previously and for which the Minister was accountable to the House, would be answered and replied to in parliamentary questions in future. He was so devout in his dedication to that particular concept that he almost made other Members cry too. However, as other speakers have noted, that is not what happens at present.

I am worried about an emerging matter, namely, that the transfer of powers from one Department to another will eventually result in this House ending up as a kind of no man's land. Members will be talking to themselves, asking questions of themselves and being informed the Minister has no responsibility to the House and that whatever matter is in hand is not part and parcel of those powers that were transferred to another Minister.

I will repeat what I believe to be true as it relates to this issue. In recent days I received a letter from the Ceann Comhairle, who is sincere in his duty, telling me that an issue I raised was not appropriate and the Minister was not accountable to the House. However, he is accountable. A Minister is accountable to the House for any matter that he or she funds from his or her Department's budget to any subsidiary body and in respect of the general policy applied by that body thereafter.

While the following example does not relate to roads, it is highly pertinent. The Road Safety Authority took responsibility to make a policy statement in respect of the holders of provisional driving licences. Obviously the Minister was embarrassed by the alacrity at which the policy statement was taken and decided to pull the hand brake and perform a hand brake turn on the issue.

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