Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

That remains to be seen. We learned recently that the previous Minister for Health and Children spent €30 million on commissioning reports. We have still not received the full figure but I understand approximately 150 reports were commissioned during his five year tenure during which approximately €2 million was spent on public relations and spin. This damages the perception of the role of politicians, although I accept that some politicians make a positive contribution to the health service.

The Minister must accept some responsibility given that she is a member of the Cabinet and the concept of collective responsibility applies. We have seen Government splits emerge recently on several issues, which casts doubt on the operation of collective responsibility. I will not dwell on the position as regards the North but the headlines in today's newspapers——