Joe McHugh (Fine Gael)

I echo the remarks of my colleague Senator Finucane. We had a meeting with HSE officials for one and a half hours this morning and, to say the least, we noted a lot of anger and frustration on the part of politicians across the political divide. One official acknowledged that the parliamentary questions facility for Deputies in the Dáil has collapsed. This is very serious in terms of accountability and democracy.

We need to think seriously about how we deal with accountability structures, not just within the HSE but right across the board, be it at local authority level or, for example, in the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. For the whole month of January, 23 of the finest pelagic boats in the world were tied up in Killybegs while Scottish boats were entering our waters. The fishermen could not get their point of view across to the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.

We need to start governing in this country and control who makes decisions for the people. When I arrived at the meeting with the HSE officials this morning, I was accompanied by Senator Finucane from Limerick. I represent constituents right up to Malin Head. At the meeting we spoke about important issues concerning Ballaghaderreen, Roscommon and Galway and it is right that these were discussed. However, a structure that covers an area from Malin Head down to Nenagh and includes people from Limerick does not, cannot and will not work. We must start taking charge and review completely the dogmatic, dictatorial, unaccountable and unrepresentative system of the HSE. We must take charge and start governing, irrespective of who is in power after the next general election.