Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

The Minister of State should inform himself because it is not up to the boards to make the decisions; it is he who must postpone the elections. It is part of secondary legislation and it is important that the Minister of State appreciate this. Does he not accept that there is disappointment about this matter? There are claims that the Government will streamline the system and ensure better value for money, yet, at the same time, the Minister of State is saying there will not be any reduction in staff and that the offices will remain open. I presume there will have to be new offices to accommodate the new structures and that new staff may have to be taken on. That is the experience for which the Minister of State has been partially responsible in setting up the HSE. It proved to be a very costly exercise in so-called restructuring. Perhaps the Minister of State will take this on board.

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