Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

My point is to focus on whether the aforementioned advisers are advisers to the Minister. I refer to the leaked letter, to which the Minister has just referred, from the Secretary General of the Department of Health to Mr. Cathal Magee, the chief executive officer of the Health Service Executive, HSE. That letter stated it was regular practice to accept "a particular suggestion from an adviser" in place of seeking a formal decision directly from the Minister. Is that the way in which to operate a health service? What does that say to people about who is at the helm of the health service? There is no indication whatsoever that there was any engagement with the Minister. It was the adviser's position, leaving the Minister out of the frame.

See this speech in context