Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It does not work quite as well as the Deputy thinks. I know that it was a former Minister for Health, Mary Harney, who introduced the NTPF and while it works up to a point, it does not quite work in the way that is needed.

The Minister has introduced a number of changes into the community health care sector, most notably the community health care organisations. Under this system, each network will be headed by an "identifiable, accountable person" responsible for care delivery by professionals such as nurses, therapists etc. This is something that has been sorely lacking in our health service for too long. We have been unable to determine who is accountable for the decision making process. All too often we cannot find out who is responsible for making decisions, who can stand over those decisions and who will explain to patients and health care providers why services are being denied or are not being delivered in the manner they expect. This is another concept that should have been developed years ago, that is, making people accountable for the decisions they make.

There was a massive increase in the number of people who were paid to be senior managers within the HSE----

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