Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Is the Tánaiste in any way concerned at the contempt of the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, for those who question him? They include, obviously, the former Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Róisín Shortall. They certainly include Opposition Deputies whose responsibility it is to hold the Minister to account and to raise the appropriate issues. Now, that contempt is also clearly held for the Standing Orders of the House, in spite of the Ceann Comhairle's efforts to compel the Minister to reply appropriately to a Deputy. The Minister's attitude could be best summed up by saying, "How dare you question me?" I believe this has been nakedly exposed by his refusal to answer clear and concise questions and the obfuscation he employs in the answers he gives. Last evening, the Minister issued a further so-called reply to me following the Ceann Comhairle's ruling yesterday to the effect that he was in breach of Standing Order 40A. That further reply oozes contempt. I will be further referring the matter to the Ceann Comhairle today. We have further evidence this week of the Minister's arrogance in the report of his so-called meeting in Leinster House earlier this week with the founder and principal of one of the country's foremost children's charities.

Whatever one's view of what took place at this week's Committee of Public Accounts, when the Secretary General of the Department of Health and the director general designate of the Health Service Executive appeared before the committee, there is undoubtedly a concern, which I have heard expressed by those of all views across the Chamber, that the engagement got off to an unprecedented bad start. Given that the Minister for Health is the person who will appoint the members of the new HSE directorate, including the director general, and the growing evidence of the Berlin Wall that he is building around himself, his Department and the HSE, has the Tánaiste any concerns about the fact that only those already working in the HSE who already hold the grade of national director can be considered for these crucial posts? Should these opportunities not be open to public competition? Is the Minister really a fit person to make the judgment or to make the appointments while he is obviously building defences around himself?

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