Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes. Nonetheless, at board meetings the issues were always raised by public representatives and they would get a response. I do not understand why the parents of that person mentioned by Deputy Adams could not be given all of the facts and information on all of the opportunities to provide care for that person. There was a system whereby the HSE would come to the audiovisual room in Leinster House to answers queries from Deputies about issues like that. Some Deputies will table a parliamentary question to the Minister for Health and get an answer from the HSE, and the paper trail goes around, but the Deputy still does not have the answer he or she might get through a phone call or a direct discussion with whoever might be in charge. This applies not only in the case of health but in many other areas as well.

I suppose this is an example of the eternal balance between public representatives, who are elected by the people and entitled to ask questions in the House, and Ministers, who are responsible for the Vote in their Departments and, as such, should be able to provide transparency, accountability and responsibility in respect of all of these things. It is a case in point. If the Deputy speaks directly to the Minister for Health, he might deal with that one-----

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