Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is true. Section 16 provides for powers of appointment and for setting policy and makes the director general accountable and answerable to the Minister in all cases except in respect of individual service providers and patient outcomes. The Minister will have absolute power to decide the location and funding of services. It was only last September that the House had a debate which saw a Minister of State resign because the Minister decided, as he said was his right, to put two primary care centres in his own constituency. The Minister had no credible reason to do so other than that it was his constituency. If Deputy James Reilly was the Minister for Transport, all trains would go to Balbriggan and all buses to Swords as a result of his parochial thinking.

See this speech in context