James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I congratulate my colleague, Deputy O'Dowd, on raising this matter. I, too, have a serious issue with how this authority will be established. We badly need this and we all support the concept. Like so many of the Government's initiatives, the concept seems perfect but the detail and the nitty gritty of the implementation leaves much to be desired. We will do this in such a way as to put further distance between those who make decisions and those who have to suffer the consequences. It will put further distance between the Minister and his responsibilities. When things go well, he will claim the success and when they go badly, he will refer it to the new authority and say it is not his business. It strikes a chord and reminds one of the HSE.

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