Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Having represented clinical experts in the health service who were ignored when Deputy Donnelly's party was in government, I welcome this Damascene conversion. We must have clinicians on the board. It is ludicrous to me that we do not or that there is no proviso for this. Whether intentional or not they are excluded because it is not there. We must have patient advocates. I am very struck by the Scally report's observations on that. There must be two, one person on their own will not be able to fulfil that role.

The Minister said that the one remaining space will be filled by someone who will fulfil the financial role and that person has been lined-up already. I ask the Minister to explain this. Presumably that person is on the short list which has been sent to the Minister by the Public Appointments Service who the Minister believes has the requisite expertise. I share Deputy Donnelly's concerns. The difficulty is that while the Minister may be minded to make this appointment on this one occasion, if it is not mandated by legislation there might be another situation when the Minister has a change of heart or one of his successors is not so minded. Every day there are column inches full of the failings of people on boards in matters of money. I am struck by the need to have as many clinicians on the board as possible. The Minister indicated that he believes he has someone lined up who can deal with the financial end of things who is some class of an expert. Without giving away too much detail, I ask that the Minister would explain the level of qualification he or she has and why the Minister believes them to be suitable.

When the Public Appointments Service looks for board members, does it look for financial experts? Is it something that it has identified in its advertisements as an area that is desirable but not essential.

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I am taken by the need to ensure that we have patient advocates. I am wedded to the idea that there be two of them. That is important because they can act as back-up and support for each other in that environment, which might be tough for a patient advocate given the level of work that will be undertaken. I am happy to support this provision. I ask the Minister to explain how that will be achieved given that he agrees with the need for financial expertise.

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