Mary Henry (Independent)

Planning ahead is always a good idea and the amendment suggests this should happen. I have one concern which I am sure the Minister will address. There is a dichotomy in this situation. The Department of Health and Children is in charge of policy and this matter is a policy issue regarding the care of the elderly in public and private nursing homes. However, the accounting and auditing of the health service will be in the hands of the Health Service Executive. No matter what policy the Department may make, the Health Service Executive will have a significant hold over whether the policy will happen because it will be in charge of funding. The Minister might elaborate on whether I am correct in this assessment.

We have had grim examples of the lack of proper accounting within the Department of Health and Children in regard to medical cards, to which I will refer later in the debate. While I recognise that much diverse work is being done within the Department, there will be great difficulty with the division of its funding. No matter what policy it puts forward, I do not know how it will progress that policy because the executive arm will be a totally different body. What the executive arm will do with excellent policy, I have no idea. Will the Minister elaborate in the context of the amendment?