Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I move amendment No. 5:

In page 27, line 4, after "Minister" to insert the following:

"subject to the approval of a Joint Committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas assigned the role of examining matters relating to health".

I believe this is the very first opportunity, certainly for this Minister for Health and Children and perhaps also for the Government, to introduce a practical reform in the manner in which State boards are appointed. This issue has been a focus of some debate in the House over the past couple of weeks and the new Government has presented itself as a Government of change and reform, especially with regard to the political system, public service and political appointments. Both Fine Gael and the Labour Party have spoken of giving Oireachtas committees real powers of scrutiny, which I would welcome and greatly support. I believe this amendment certainly offers such an opportunity. It simply requires that an bord altranais agus cnáimhseachais na hÉireann, the nursing and midwifery board of Ireland be appointed "subject to the approval of a Joint Committee of the Houses of the Oireachtas [that has been] assigned the role of examining matters relating to health". The reason I have styled it in this manner is because at present, there is some uncertainty as to the structuring of Oireachtas committees on foot of the establishment of the new Department of children. It is unclear to me whether it is intended to establish full Oireachtas committees to shadow separately both the new Departments of health and children or to continue to have an Oireachtas committee on health and children even though there will be two Departments under Deputies Reilly and Fitzgerald, respectively.

In the last Dáil, the then Fine Gael spokesperson on health and children, Deputy Reilly, proposed an amendment that was exactly like the one I have tabled today. This is very important as I have welcomed in respect of amendment No. 4, the Minister's following through of the logic of the position he took up in the previous Dáil in address of this legislation. This is another opportunity both for Deputy Reilly and his colleagues throughout the Government to address both a need within this legislation and to walk the walk in respect of appointments to State boards. One little thing I noticed during the election was that the Minister's colleague, Deputy Richard Bruton, published the following in Fine Gael's own reform proposals in the following: "all ... appointments of CEOs and Chairman of State Boards will be vetted by a Dáil committee, with all other Board members vetted by the Public Appointments Commission".

I believe this amendment is very reasonable and straightforward. It constitutes a relatively mild reform and I can discern no good reason the Minister would not accept the amendment and live up to the spirit of the position articulated by both Fine Gael and the Labour Party both in opposition and since they have formed a new coalition after the general election. I commend amendment No. 5 to the Minister of State and would appreciate her acceding to it.

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