Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not mind. I am happy that it happened. I welcome it. It is a positive, constructive appointment to the Seanad and it is essential in terms of informing our thinking. We need to articulate their needs on a national level.

Returning to the wonderful HSE, it is more a hide and seek than a HSE.

For two years, I have been trying to get at the facts regarding a death in County Louth and find out what went wrong with the ambulance service that night. For some reason, no ambulance turned up and the poor, unfortunate patient died tragically. He was brought to hospital in a Garda car. It was new year's eve, and a critical member of the ambulance crew had not turned up for work, which meant the service was one ambulance down. The absent crew member went and worked in the private sector as a private ambulance worker on the night on which the man died. I do not know how it impacted on the events in the Louth, Meath and Cavan area.

I have been frustrated by the HSE and the system. The case is before the Information Commissioner for the second time in an attempt to get at the facts of the case. I am not seeking the name of the ambulance driver concerned. I want to know what happened, and why and how we can ensure it never happens again. It is unacceptable for somebody to leave the ambulance service and work in the private sector on the busiest night of the year. I do not know why the young man died. I do not know whether he could have been saved had an ambulance reached him in time. The fact that concerns me most is that no ambulance came within the required period of time. I want to get at the truth of it. It has taken two years to get this far, but I will find out.

It is a disgrace that we must go through this and that the transparency, knowledge and accountability of the ambulance service is the way this. This is why I return to my point regarding accountability in the Louth, Meath, Cavan and Monaghan region. The old health board system was not bad in terms of accountability. We are not talking about interfering in the process but about asking the questions. At the health board meetings one could ask directly what was going on, which we cannot do now.

I am very concerned about the treatment of the elderly in nursing home care, both private and public. Shameful and disgraceful acts are still happening to our elderly in many institutions. I will return to it very soon in the public domain. We need more inspections. HIQA is doing far fewer inspections than it should. One is lucky if it visits a nursing home once a year. HIQA must be far more active and involved in what is happening and we need much more transparency and accountability. For whatever time is left to me in this House, I will push this.

See this speech in context