Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have an opportunity to say a few words on this important topic. People are horrified by recent disclosures. I thank Emma Mhic Mhathúna and Vicky Phelan for publicising what happened to them and speaking so eloquently about how their lives have been changed forever.

It appears the Government has decided to establish a new board to monitor the Health Service Executive. This is not the right approach as it will create another buffer of bureaucracy between elected members and the HSE, which already has enough managers. There are enough Ministers in the Department of Health to hold HSE managers to account for what they are not doing. I have asked the Minister many times to take HSE managers to task for what they were not doing in various areas, which I do not propose to list. The HSE receives a large amount of money and it is not held to account for how it is spending it. A veil of secrecy operates in many departments and areas of the health service. I am familiar with this from attending meetings of the HSE's regional health forum, south. When I tabled motions and asked questions, HSE officials showed themselves to be masters of not answering the question I asked or addressing the motion I tabled. This is not fair to elected representatives and the people we represent who ask that we provide a health service. As far as I can see, there is no accountability among senior managers in the HSE.

Open disclosure by doctors and HSE managers must be introduced. Many patients have lost confidence in the HSE and I wonder if they will ever regain confidence in the HSE after what has happened. This is a serious matter and I recognise the Minister understands that is the case. However, as Minister, he has power and he must act to sort out the problem. He also has four Ministers of State. Now is the time to act.

The deliberate hiding of information from patients was a criminal act and those responsible should be held accountable because they were the cause of many people dying.

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