Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support the intent of amendment No. 12 but in practical terms the best data collection is probably served by not inserting this amendment. The section covers the issue, stating that the Minister shall, after not later than three years, carry out a review of the operation of the legislation. The amendment makes some reasonable suggestions as to what needs to be in that review, including barriers to access to service. However, we do not know where we are going to be in three years. Some unexpected issues will inevitably have arisen. I am all for more and better data and comprehensive reports. I am sure that is what will happen.

By prescribing what needs to be in here, while it is all perfectly reasonable and well intentioned, the amendment potentially runs against us. One or two civil servants will be tasked with putting this review together. They will have a significant volume of work to do. Data collection in the system is appalling generally. Some of the areas specified in amendment No. 12 may not be the highest priorities in three years. However, if officials are mandated to report on them it is where people are going to focus, because they have to focus. It is where people reading the report might focus because it has been in the legislation. We might pull focus and resources away from some areas that could become more important.

I fully agree that the report must be comprehensive. It should have the input of the House beforehand to agree exactly what is in it. The best mechanism, when the three-year period is about to be reached, probably would be a debate in Dáil, or at the health committee or an informal meeting with the Minister and whoever wants to be involved. We could do it that way. Providing this level of specificity about what data needs to be included in a review that is to take place in three years is not helpful.

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