Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

It blames Europe. When decisions are made in Europe, our Ministers are supposed to protect our country but they and civil servants sometimes do not understand the directives. It is only when legislation must be introduced at a later stage that they realise what they have signed up to. Small businesses are sick and tired of being over-regulated. Instead of helping and encouraging them and trying to increase employment, we are trying to drive people out of business.

We have every kind of authority and office in Ireland, each with a complement of staff. The problem is that not one of them is producing anything. All they are doing is creating problems for the people who are trying to generate revenue and employment. There is no initiative to benefit small business or to encourage businessmen to employ people and that is why the economy is now in some difficulty. We believed we could keep employing health inspectors, veterinarians, etc., with the result that every kind of person now has a job in an agency in this country.

As a Dáil Deputy, one receives reports from State bodies. Those sent to me built up over a few weeks and it was only then that I realised how many agencies are in existence, each of which has a chief executive and staff. They are creating problems for people who are just trying to make a living, create employment and keep their businesses open. The latter get no support or help from the State; all they get is total hassle.

The HSE has taken over the health service and the only time a Minister is answerable is when there is a tape to be cut. When there is good news, the Ministers for Health and Children, Enterprise, Trade and Employment or Finance are available, but when there is bad news the chief executive of the HSE or some other agency is deemed responsible.

A businessman who owns a private nursing home contacted me today. The people in this home are there because the State failed to provide one for them. They receive subventions in some cases and pay a contribution towards their care, yet the latest development is that when they go to hospital for appointments, be it for physiotherapy or otherwise, the hospitals send bills to the nursing home to collect money from them. They should be in State care in the first place. They are entitled to a bed but a bed cannot be found for them.

As Deputy Flynn will confirm, there are patients in north Mayo with hospital appointments who cannot be brought to hospital any longer. I have raised this matter in the Dáil and said I would not be able to sleep at night if I had to make decisions such as those being made by the HSE. I met an employee of the HSE recently and the first point he made was that he had a good sleep the night before. I said, "Fair play to you. I certainly could not sleep if I made decisions like you make every day so that the sick, weak and elderly cannot be brought to hospital for their appointments." His answer was that he needed more money.

I went outside the door and saw a jeep he had done up which had cost hundreds of thousands of euro. It was equipped with machines that can film from the back, front and both sides. The jeep is for national emergencies but when I asked the man how many emergencies there have been in recent years, he replied the only problem that arose necessitating its use was a bus accident on the day of an all-Ireland final. The jeep is sitting outside the man's office and he probably brings it up and down the road every day for a spin to justify having it. In spite of this, he cannot bring people to hospital for appointments and is running them out of his office every day and saying he wants more money.

I tabled parliamentary questions in this regard and was told by the Minister that there was never as much money invested in the health service. I was told that administration, rather than money, poses the problem and that the service is not being run properly. This Government must be made answerable in the Dáil.

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