Brendan Ryan (Labour)

Yesterday in Dublin, there was a meeting of representatives of people working in the health services other than doctors and nurses, namely, support staff, clerical staff, etc. Their simple demand was for the people who are paid to manage the health services to do so. Their complaint, which was articulated in a dozen ways, focused on one issue, that is, no one will take a decision or responsibility. This situation obtained before and after the HSE was set up. No amount of superficial gloss or expensive publicity will distract us from the fundamental problem of the health services, namely, those who call themselves managers are not allowed or are unwilling to manage. It is not the only problem.

Will the Leader arrange a debate on the quality of the health services' management? We should ignore the doctors, consultants and nurses for a while. Let us hear the stories of those of us who, unlike myself, served on health boards and know about the quality of management in the health services.

I met a nurse who is doing her second masters degree. She told me of the list of qualifications for her job, whereas only a good level of education was required for a managerial position that was advertised. Technical people have specific requirements, but management people only need to talk their way into jobs, which is a problem. We should discuss the process through which managers are picked.

On the nurses' grievances, while a newspaper headline stated that the Taoiseach said the claim would cost €1 billion, he stated that it would actually cost between €500 million and €1 billion. If ever I wanted a good example of the Government's inability to cost anything, it is the fact that the margin of error is 100%. If this is the best the Government can do, it should not manage anything.