Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I also wish to speak in support of this Bill. I will take up from where Deputy Roche left off. We all acknowledge the huge efforts of our front-line workers in every part of the country, and the Deputy is right to pay tribute to them. They work damn hard. Conditions for them all are not great. I have been in hospital myself in the past as a patient and visiting people. One would often see nurses having their lunch at the end of a trolley or a counter and running down the corridor to deal with patients. We need to keep an eye on their workplace welfare. They work so hard and go beyond the call of duty every time they report to work.

The Bill is about governance and improving accountability in the HSE. I have a particular bugbear, which I am sure is the same for everyone else here. The Minister for Health is also a constituency TD, as are the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste. Everyone here is accountable to their constituents. This is nothing against the Minister; it just reflects the systematic set-up of Governments over many years. If I ask a parliamentary question of the Minister for Health, it will probably be passed to the HSE. That is fine; I accept that. However, the HSE will not reply in the three or four days within which standard parliamentary questions are answered. If I asked a parliamentary question about a driving test or something that is not massively consequential for someone’s well-being, I will get a reply in three or four days. If I ask a parliamentary question about someone’s acute healthcare, however, I may not get a reply for three or four months. When parliamentary questions relating to health are diverted to the HSE for reply or when we are told to email reps@hse.ie, the same legal framework and lead-in period of four days if it is an oral parliamentary question or three days if it is a written question should apply, where possible. I understand that people may be on holiday, and we do not want to burden healthcare officials with filling out reams of paperwork in order to reply to questions from those within the body politic. I am not suggesting that. On basic matters, however, there needs to be a better turnaround. This is not the Minister’s fault, but she might be able to take action to address it.

See this speech in context