Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I wish to raise two matters with the Tánaiste. Yesterday, the Minister for Health and Children said that the decision to grant the chief executive of the HSE a bonus was a matter for the HSE board. This is not strictly correct because the Minister has the power under section 10 of the Health Act 2004 to give direction to the HSE in respect of any matter. Any such direction is then laid before the House. Does the Minister for Health and Children have plans to issue a direction to the HSE on whether the bonus should be paid to the chief executive and when will it be laid before the House?

On 11 June, the House agreed an all-party motion arising from the Ryan commission report into child abuse. Two matters arise from this motion that require legislation. The first concerns the establishment of an independent trust into which further substantial contributions can be made by the congregations concerned. These could be used to provide support, general education and welfare to the survivors of the abuse. The second matter that requires legislation is the examination of the terms of the Residential Institutions Redress Act in respect of the confidentiality attached to the awards and the application period. When will these two pieces of legislation, which were agreed unanimously by the House, be prepared?

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