Fergal Browne (Fine Gael)

In connection with comments made by Senator O'Toole and the Minister of State's reply, section 10(2) provides that, "the Minister may issue specific written directions to the Executive...[looking for] any information or statistics relating to the performance of the Executive's functions". That should work both ways. The Government should also lead. One of the fundamental flaws in the Bill is that the Government has not set out clear targets.

I do not expect the Minister of State to reply to this because the matter has already been discussed but while the Minister can also request statistics from the executive, there is an onus on the Government to have clear targets on what it would regard as minimum service. For example, I know two ladies in Carlow who will not be able to see a consultant in Beaumont Hospital until next September. They must wait ten months, which is surely unacceptable. I have also encountered a problem lately where the family of a gentleman involved in a serious car crash has been told that he must wait three to six months to get into the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dún Laoghaire. That is also unacceptable.

There is an onus on the Government to set clear targets. Clear targets are at least something for which to aim but if there is nothing for which to aim and the Government blames every problem on the health service executive we fail in our role as parliamentarians.