Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

The Sinn Féin members do not agree to this motion seeking our approval for the dissolution of the National Economic and Social Forum. We are not particularly concerned with the dissolution of the National Centre for Partnership and Performance.

This motion arises from the McCarthy report. We have no difficulty with the statement in that report that there is duplication among overlapping agencies, including the National Economic and Social Development Office, the National Economic and Social Council, the NESF and the NCCP. However, as the McCarthy report itself points out, the NESF's mission is to provide advice to Government about policies to achieve greater social inclusion and equality.

In our view the NESF, because of its remit to achieve greater social inclusion and equity, is the one body among these bodies that should be retained. This Fianna Fáil and Green Party Government has already abolished the Combat Poverty Agency at a time when Government policy is driving more people into poverty. Over the years, the NESF has produced many reports that have proved embarrassing for the Government because the focus of those reports was about ensuring equity of access for all to quality public services and the need to combat social exclusion. Elements of many of the reports have also been included in Government policy. The forum was one of the more inclusive bodies involved in the social partnership process.

I could cite many reports that have never been implemented, but are still totally relevant. I made a brief mention of three of them today during the Order of Business. The 2002 NESF report on equity in acute hospital care exposed the grossly inequitable two-tier nature of our health system. The report stated that the two-tier system was inequitable in practice and that additional health service funding was not enough, because major structural reform was needed. The report asserted that consideration of alternative models from countries without equity problems should be the highest priority. The NESF report stated that the State should be a guarantor of access for all, regardless of means. This is the only way to achieve equity of access to acute care. Therefore, entitlement - as opposed to eligibility - is the most appropriate frame for health policy. Health care entitlements should be codified in legislation. Those were the key points made by the NESF. If this motion is passed, the NESF will be gone but the gross inequalities and inefficiencies in our health services will still be with us.

In 2005, an NESF report exposed the massive deficit in child care in this State. It has taken the Government five years to act on the key recommendation of that report, which was for State-funded early childhood care and education for all children in the year before they go to school. Unfortunately, the Government's implementation of this is flawed and has created an age gap which is currently excluding thousands of children born in July and August 2007, something that is replicated each year. The latest NESF report was published last October on the home care package scheme, and it stated that the scheme is being stymied by bad implementation on the part of the HSE.

The body which completed all this valuable work - there are many other reports to which I could refer and from which I drew over the years as a Member of this House - is being abolished and nothing will be put in its place. It seems that the Government is killing off the watchdogs one by one. Quite frankly, we are not at all in favour of this approach, so we will oppose the motion.

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