Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

Yes. The reality since then is that the agency has not acted responsibly. I have often asked questions about agencies covering a wide range of issues, especially the NRA. I gave the example of the port tunnel as it is so critical for constituents that I represent. Its cost and safety features should be discussed in this House, given their critical importance. I have not got any answers. Sometimes there has been a point blank refusal to answer, rather than the usual anodyne non-answer that we often receive when we put down written parliamentary questions.

Accountability to the House is critical. On the first of these amendments, amendment No. 6, it is important to insert in the section that the Minister shall be "fully and directly accountable to Dáil Éireann . . . . for the regulations" for the simple reason that such a reference is not included. Amendment No. 11 is similar. The Minister mentioned the implementation plan. Obviously, there will be an input at that stage but it is not mentioned in the Bill. Amendment No. 11 merits consideration at least.

Of the other amendments included in the group, in respect of amendments Nos. 57 and No. 58, I do not see why the guidelines should not have to be approved by the Oireachtas. The critical amendment is amendment No. 62 which states that the Minister should be fully responsible to Dáil Éireann for the DTA. I ask him to break with the past and provide for a new regime for agencies under the auspices of the Oireachtas and responsible to the people. We should do it differently this time. This time next year let us not come into House to ask the Ceann Comhairle why questions about the DTA had not been approved. Amendment No. 81 which is also included in the group and which I forgot to mention initially is important in terms of accountability to the House as regards direct award contracts.

The Minister is not alone with regard to his track record. Other Ministers behave in the same way. I contend that the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, has the worst record in the House for answering questions about basic issues within the remit of the health service. I wonder why we have a Department of Health and Children. I have stated to Professor Drumm that my fundamental problem with his office is that he never stood for election. Effectively, he is the Minister. The Acting Chairman, Deputy Ardagh, might sympathise with that view in private because most Members do.

I ask the Minister to break with the past and make the DTA different by making it responsible to the House. I ask him to accept the first of the amendments, amendment No. 6.

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