Brendan Ryan (Labour)

I move amendment No. 96:

In page 58, after line 42, to insert the following:

"Accountability to Houses of the Oireachtas

22. When required by a committee of either or both Houses of the Oireachtas, the President of the Society shall appear before the committee to account for the general administration of the Society.".

A body which has the level and scale of responsibilities that the society will have ought to have a formal accountability role to the Oireachtas. I am happy to leave discussion of the details for a longer consideration but essentially these bodies are set up under legislation. Therefore, there ought to be a process to ensure that when they work, they are clearly aware of their obligations under the legislation. This appears to be the most efficient way to do this. However, I will not be hung on the amendment because I do not want them to be summoned every second week to discuss the price of drugs but there should be at least an annual reporting to the appropriate Oireachtas committee, presumably the Joint Committee on Health and Children. That would be a useful exercise.