Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach referred to his willingness to change the system of parliamentary questions as it applies to him. The Fianna Fáil group has not refused any proposal from the Government side of the House on how the system might be improved.

Many people view the Economic Management Council as a war council to deal with the emergency in which we found ourselves. Whatever the merits of that initiative, it was interesting that the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy White, raised questions last weekend about whether the EMC should continue. If one bears in mind the fact the Government has told us repeatedly we are moving out of the crisis, one wonders whether the life of the EMC is coming to an end.

I wish to ask about the Cabinet committee on health, which was responsible for a White Paper that added to the flaw in the Department of Health's budget last year. The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, announced recently a delay in compulsory health insurance and admitted to a crisis in the HSE budget. Was this issue raised at the Cabinet committee on health? We read in The Irish Timestoday that the Minister has written to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, to say that he does not have the budget to equip the new children's hospital at St. James's Hospital. I am minded of the many facilities that have been developed-----

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