Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

No. Like Deputy Gilmore, I object to the way this is being done. The Minister for Health and Children was informed on 26 October that this matter needed to be dealt with. She chose not to inform any Member of the Opposition or the spokespersons on health about this matter. Waiting deliberately until the second last day of this session to bring in a Bill that deals with fundamental issues is not the way to do business. This Bill allows the Minister transfer extra powers to the HSE. It lessens her accountability to the House. It deals specifically with the issue of co-location and mentions places for that purpose.

I have no problem if the Government brings forward a version of a Bill that deals with the legal status of the 19 bodies mentioned in the legislation. Going back 41 years under the new Minister's regime, if a Minister did not know, then he or she was not responsible. That seems to be a new version of accountability from the Government. If the Government brings forward a Bill dealing with the legal status of the 19 bodies, then we can deal with that quickly and efficiently. However, this Bill goes way beyond that. It allows for less accountability from the Minister and more authority to the HSE which has proven to be unaccountable. It deals with 11 amendments to the Medical Practitioners Bill 2007, which was rushed through this House earlier this year and is an example of poor legislation. If it transpires that this Bill is again proven to be faulty, then everyone in the Government is responsible for deliberately having waited on an inadequate Bill and for choosing not to bring it in until the day before the House rises for the Christmas recess.

In Britain, Minister Kelly had to go before the House of Commons immediately and answer questions on the discovery that 3 million names and addresses were lost on CDs by some operator in the US. That is very different to waiting since 26 October, coming before the House a day before it rises and expecting a Bill to be passed at all Stages. I object to this, unless the Taoiseach tells us that the Government will bring forward a Bill tonight or tomorrow that deals with the legal status of the 19 bodies. Otherwise, I object to the transfer of greater powers to the HSE and less accountability from the Minister.

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