Joe O'Toole (Independent)

Earlier this year, I raised the issue of the various reports on the medical services, including the Hanly and Brennan reports, before they were published. At that stage, I requested a debate where people could establish their positions on the matter, rather than taking up political positions afterwards. We had a debate and people said what they had to say. However, the matter is now bringing politics in general into disrepute. Nobody can blame local politicians, from either side of the House, for defending their own patch, but the only way we will ever deal with this matter is to take ourselves out of the equation. It will only be addressed if a new group, for example, is set up and we agree that it will decide issues and we will implement them. Otherwise, there will be no answers.

I have full sympathy for those who defend their areas – I would do the same – but I cannot see how the matter will be sorted out if we constantly have to look at local arrangements. We are elected to represent either a constituency or a broader group and we are required to defend our people by commenting on the relevant issues. However, we will never get a health service moving forward in this way.

On a related topic, I was glad to hear a representative of the Fine Gael Party making it clear on "Morning Ireland" recently that the proposed development charges had nothing to do with the payment of benchmarking awards. It is good that this is fully and clearly understood. It is another issue on which we should be open and honest. I paid a development charge 30 years ago – I had to pay the ESB to put up four poles to supply my house. A woman from Kerry told me she had to pay €7,000 to have her new house connected to the sewerage system last year. There is nothing new about development charges. What we have to consider is how the money is earmarked and directed and ensure that it is used properly, rather than pretending it is something new. It is not new, but the ordinary taxpayer should not be required to pay for development to create greater profits for builders than they are already making. We need to take a firm and positive line on those issues.

With regard to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill, which will be before the House this week, I wish to declare an interest as a member of that board. The chairperson of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board, Ms Dorothea Dowling, will be available in Leinster House 2000 at 5 p.m. to brief Members who will be speaking on that issue during the week and also to neutralise some of the misinformation and downright lies that have been spread about the proposals in the bill.