Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

Senator O'Meara dwelled primarily on the mission statement. The mission statement is clear if we look at the Long Title of the Bill — it is to rationalise the management of the legislation. We may err in thinking this Bill is doing more than it can. Fundamentally, we are establishing a single authority known as the health service executive to manage health and personal social services. That is the core issue. Of course, the provision of health and personal social services in Ireland can be the subject of many different views and perspectives but the core issue in this legislation is the establishment of that single authority and the dissolution of a number of bodies which hitherto have managed our health services and their replacement with this single body. That is the great enterprise in the Bill. I appreciate Senators' concern about how this will work out in practice but that is the fundamental decision that has been made by the Government and the legislation seeks to implement that decision.