Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I compliment Deputy James Reilly on tabling this Private Members' motion. It is sad that it is before the House. Many years ago, I was Fine Gael's deputy spokesman on health. One of the issues I dealt with was older people. I raised this issue on a continual basis in regard to the way the health boards were treating the elderly in the country. I refer in particular to those who had medical cards and were entitled to public nursing homes but the State was unable to provide beds for them. Many found it difficult to look after their loved ones, they found it difficult when they had to go into the private sector and they found it difficult to raise the necessary finances. Serious injustice was done to these people.

Then, people who were in private nursing homes had money paid back because the State wrongfully took this money from them. People have been hard done by and there are many cases in the Four Courts awaiting adjudication. I cannot understand why these have not been adjudicated on by now. Some cases have been settled and we should know what ones have been settled and why. Many feel injustice was done.

I compliment the Ombudsman on her bravery and guts. The Minister should bring in the officials in her Department who did not co-operate with the Ombudsman. I can understand how the Ombudsman feels on this point. I thought this House was part of a democracy and that its wishes would be obeyed by civil servants and the HSE or the health boards as they were then. People within the health service think they are more powerful than the Minister, who has allowed something to happen that should never have happened. The Minister of State, Deputy Áine Brady, is an honest, decent woman - no more than the Minister - and both mean well. However, they have let down the people of this country. They handed over the power of their office to individuals who never stood for election and who do not seem to understand democracy. I will give a simple example concerning the Minister of State, Deputy Brady, who means well. The Government has a national policy on home help. In the constituency of Mayo, where I come from, the HSE has disobeyed the Minister's policy and has cut hours even though the Minister of State has informed me that, under the national framework, they should not be doing so. They continue to do so. When I look for information from the HSE, I cannot access it.

I am glad there is the Ombudsman, who is independent of this House as an outside agency. Sometimes I get annoyed with the media because they criticise Deputies for tabling Dáil questions and tell us they cost €200. I do not see how a Dáil question could cost €200 when we do not get answers to them. The Minister of the day will send me a reply saying the Minister has no responsibility for the HSE. If it is costing €200 to send this message, it is no wonder the country is in the state it is in. Will the Minister do anything about the HSE in regard to queries I have tabled? Today, I asked the Minister and the Ombudsman about Dáil questions, and letters I sent to the chief executive officer in Mayo that have not been replied to since April.

Yesterday, a constituent of mine criticised me for not responding on the subject of a loved one whose home help hours were cut. The home help had to go across the fields to bring bread and milk to that person and the hours of home help were cut. I wrote to the HSE and tabled Dáil questions. I did not receive an answer from the Minister or the HSE. I have now sent all of the correspondence to the Ombudsman to see if she can elicit a reply. I thank her for her courage and guts. I am sure she sees the frustration of Members on this side of the House. Dáil Éireann is supposed to be about accountability. People died in this country to provide this Parliament. Over the past number of years, the situation has developed where people outside dictate to the House. Questions to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government are referred to its website. At the Department of Health and Children, one is told the Minister has no responsibility. At the Department of Education and Science, staff are too busy to compile the information. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle or the Ceann Comhairle must sit down with the leaders of the parties. We must do something about reforming this House because it means nothing.

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