Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

This Minister is politically responsible for that. We have heard much about the difficulties of governance regarding the HSE. The O'Doherty report refers to systemic problems of governance, management and communication. Those systemic problems are not confined to the HSE. Systemic problems of governance, communication, administration and management apply specifically to the Department of Health and Children. A lack of accountability and a failure to accept responsibility for the running of that Department attaches to the Minister. The O'Doherty report is interesting in this context. The focus of the media and this House has been on the HSE and its well-known inadequacies. However, this report highlights the Department's inadequacies. We were told it came as a surprise to the Minister to discover on 22 November 2007 that a review of ultrasound was taking place. If that was a surprise it confirms that her Department is seriously dysfunctional and that she is not in charge of her Department and does not know what is going on within it. The O'Doherty report confirms that it was communicated to her Department on 30 August that an ultrasound review was taking place and that on a subsequent occasion, I think on 6 November, her Department was so told.

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