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

Amendment No. 1, in the name of Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, calls for consultation with the Joint Committee on Health and Children. I will explain why I oppose the Minister of State's position. While the Minister of the day is obliged to set policy, its implementation is clearly a different issue. As we are aware, ministerial decisions on hospital funding, for example, can be influenced by lobbying at the Cabinet table. The Minister decides where resources are allocated for capital projects, etc. I do not accept that such decisions should be fully vested in the Minister without some accountability to an agency. A project should not be considered a priority just because it is in the Minister's or somebody else's constituency. The allocation of our scarce resources should be based on need rather than on political lobbying at Cabinet level. There was clear evidence of such lobbying in the case of the funding of hospitals in Kilkenny and Wexford. The Minister will set policy and will be accountable in the Dáil, but there must be some oversight to ensure he or she does not politicise the delivery of health care. This clearly is the issue. We have grave concerns about the Bill because it gives absolute power to the Minister of the day. A small brake could be put on this by requiring the Minister to come before the health committee and listen to the various views of members before a service plan is fully adopted.

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