Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)

To some degree I agree with Deputy Upton. I have a view on many of these agencies. While the Deputy might think it is difficult to get information, I often find it hard, as the responsible Minister, and that is not healthy. As politicians we peddled a line for years, and others peddled it on our behalf, that everything has to be so-called "independent". Nobody is independent. Everybody has a specific point of view, to which they are entitled. I believe in far more ministerial responsibility and direct involvement with many of the agencies.

Many of the agencies can make the case in a very public way for funding. That is fine and I have no issue with that, but dare not any Minister question how this funding is distributed. I have issues with that; I do not like it. It is wrong that I, as an elected representative and appointed to Government as the Minister responsible for this area, sometimes find out what the agencies are up to through the national media. They show no courtesy towards the Department regarding what they are doing. I agree that there are issues which have gone beyond what the House might have intended in terms of answerability. A better balance must be found between independence as some people like it and responsibility for the substantial resources given to many of these agencies, which is taxpayers' money. Some feel that they are answerable to nobody. I do not accept that and I do not like it.

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