Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the scoping inquiry, the Taoiseach might answer on whether it should report to a different Department. That is a separate matter, however, and I will come back to him on that. What is striking in terms of the reforms that have been announced is that the director general of the HSE announced his retirement date months ago. We now know that he will be leaving in eight weeks time. The advertisement for his replacement, however, is only going out in the coming weeks. What was envisaged by the Government in respect of the intervening period? Were we to have a HSE without a director general effectively for six months because it will take a considerable length of time to find a replacement? One would have thought that headhunting would have begun much earlier for the new director general in respect of the reforms that have been announced. That is the big story. Was the position going to be, or will it be, vacant for quite some time given the lateness of the advertisement going public?

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