Ivor Callely (Fianna Fail)

I seek your guidance, a Chathaoirligh, or that of your office or the Clerk of the Seanad's office on issues that warrant address. I listened this morning, as I have done for the past few weeks, to a number of issues being raised by Members which are valid and worthy of response and find that a system falls into place in that regard. I am not sure, however, if any Member is satisfied with the manner in which this House responds to the issues raised. I support the call by the Leader of the Opposition's main party in the House, Senator Frances Fitzgerald, concerning the health services and the budgets allocated to those services but there is no point in bringing the Minister for Health and Children into the House to talk about the Health Service Executive budget because that is a matter for the HSE. It was decided by successive political parties over many years to abolish the system in place and replace it with the HSE, giving it its own autonomy.

I support the call made by a number of speakers regarding the victim impact statement but let us wind back the clock. The victim impact statement of Majella Holohan had a huge impact and Mr. Justice Carney is probably right to address the issue. I am not sure, however, I would agree with everything he said. I disagree that Wayne O'Donoghue has no future in this country but do I take up that issue with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform or the Courts Service? With whom do I take up that issue? Most of us want to raise issues about traffic. Do I take up such issues with the Minister for Transport or with the National Roads Authority? Other Members raised issues including the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, another separate agency, and there was even a call this morning to set up a new authority. I am aware we will be advised that, under Standing Orders, we cannot do this or that. All these issues involving the HSE, the NRA, the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, the——