Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)

I accept that. The party in Government, of which I was a part, set it up, before I was a Member. However, Fine Gael promised the system would be changed, but we have just changed seats here. Fine Gael has moved across the House and is carrying on the same old policy, with some cosmetic changes. It stood down the board of the HSE, but that is all. We could see that the other night when the Minister was being grilled on television on the inadequacies of the HSE. There are glaring inadequacies and there is no accountability. I accept it was my former colleague, now Leader of the Opposition, Deputy Micheál Martin, who set it up, but it was a cop-out. The same is true for the National Roads Authority. However, I did not realise that the policy whereby the Minister has no responsibility in matters applied to An Post. Somebody must have responsibility. Our democratically elected Government and Opposition must be accountable to the House. We must return to that situation.

It is because of the lack of accountability that people are withdrawing from the political process. That is the reason too that meetings of We the Citizens are taking place around the country. I attended a briefing with that group last week with some colleagues. The people are disenchanted and that is the reason there was such a low turnout in the elections. We had a quiet revolution here, unlike in other parts of the world. People went into the election booths with their pencils and showed us what they wanted. They showed in no uncertain terms they wanted to get rid of the previous Government and wanted a change. They voted for change, but my concern is that they are not getting the change that was promised. That is the problem with making promises.

I have said that the Government parties need not have made any promises because they would have got in anyway. However, promises on policy were made and we were reminded of some of those promises this morning. I am not singling out this Government as previous Governments also made promises. The party of which I was a member made many promises. We now have a sophisticated electorate which can see the situation for what it is and realise when people are not being level and fair with them. The same is true of what is happening here. For example, on Europe Day the Dáil sat here on a Monday. I did not attend that day. I noted from the Minister's speech that it is proposed we sit more days, Mondays and Fridays and maybe Saturdays. If we are to sit more often, we must be doing meaningful work. There is no point in just being here as a token gesture. I have been told by colleagues that the debate on Europe Day was a token debate and there was no real discussion. There would be no point in coming up from Tipperary or whatever part of the country one represents just for that. Any extra sitting days must involve real, responsible, lively and healthy debate and discourse. That is what we need. Therefore, I welcome the suggestion of talks about talks regarding the topical issues to be raised on Tuesday mornings from 12 noon. That would be a good reform.

We should have more ready access to legal advice. We have immunity here to say what we feel like saying, but there are many issues with legal connotations and the advice should be available to deal with them. The same should happen with regard to county councils. When I was on the county council, the same legal adviser who advised management also advised the members. That is a farce. We need serious reform at that level also. As it is, if members of the council want advice, they get the same advice as management gets. The adviser cannot give different advice to both and members are told that if they want legal advice of their own, they must pay for it. That is unfair and no county council can operate that way.

I have many years' experience of working in the party system and was in the previous Dáil for three and a half years. Therefore, I understand the Whip system. It is draconian, as the new Government will find as time goes on and the Whip is tested. I realise the system is necessary but there are flaws in it and changes are needed. I enjoy the situation with regard to the Technical Group. We debate and discuss issues, but we can vote any way we want. There is freedom in that, which is a new experience for me. It is good to have that liberty. Deputies on the Government side may smile, but I am sure some of them will be without the Whip before very long.

I wish the Government well, but remind it that I will be watching it. The reforms must be real and meaningful.

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