Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

We have to judge people by their deeds and not by what they say. Judging this Minister in this Department and in the previous Department, the record shows that he has refused to answer to the House for strategic policy matters regarding agencies. I have copies of dozens of questions for which the Ceann Comhairle, probably on the instruction of the then Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and the Department of Transport, refused to allow an answer. Agencies are unaccountable to this House. It is very frustrating and is the reason we have so much hassle on the Order of Business. We just cannot get answers to questions.

In his response to these amendments on Committee Stage, the Minister referred to the danger of trying to micro-manage an agency outside this House. However, none of us wants to micro-manage an agency. Just like any company, the board of directors allows the executive get on with its job. In a sense, we are like the board of directors for this country and we have the right to detailed reports about strategic policy making by agencies. The Minister states that this Bill is very different from that which created the HSE, but the reality is that there are striking similarities. Before the advent of the HSE, there were decentralised bodies in which there was a large elected component. There were faults in the delivery of services by these health boards, but at least there was a democratic element. Many Members were on those boards, although I never was, and they were able to see at first hand how their particular health board operated. The reality since then——

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