Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The members of the public looking in are aghast. They saw what went on through Covid. They see almost €4 billion extra spent on the HSE for 44 extra acute beds and they see the harm done to people through lack of services, lack of diagnoses and diagnoses delayed. There are issues with cancer patients, mental health and so on. Yet we have this folly of a vote of no confidence. Yes, the lobbying legislation was flagrantly violated and cronyism is alive and well. It should be changed in the lobbying legislation and formers Ministers should not be allowed to lobby.

The job created concerned freedom of expression for the LGBTQI community and the lady now cannot express a syllable. She is missing. Will she come before the committee and answer why and who she lobbied? Texts have gone missing. This looks like a charade and it is a charade. I have respect for the Minister, Deputy Coveney, but this is not good enough. The Fianna Fáil leader should be ashamed of himself to allow it.

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