Alan Kelly (Labour)

I endorse Senator Coffey's call for a debate on environmental issues. He referred to Silvermines. Unfortunately, Government commitments to date in this area have not been up to the level required. Three schools lie within a short distance of the Silvermines dumps. There are six times more carcinogenics in the air in this locality than anywhere else. Unless dust blows containing toxic particles can be prevented, the future of the school children and other people in Silvermines is not good. The issue needs to be addressed and I have called on the Government on a number of occasions to support a total clean up in the area. I would welcome a debate on the matter.

Yesterday, the House had a good debate on the OECD report on the public service. I endorse Senator Ross's comments about State agencies. The current buzz word is "public service reform". Performance management is a component of the public service and partnership. How many senior managers and chief executives go through the performance management process to have their performance measured on the tiered basis required? In most cases, the staff of these agencies are monitored but how many chief executives are interviewed by their chairperson? How many senior managers go through the process with their chief executive? An audit of all State agencies and the Civil Service should be conducted quickly but performance management reviews are not taking place at the level required and tokenism is the order of the day.

A few weeks ago, the Labour Party used Private Members' time to seek amendments to the Freedom of Information (Amendment) Act 2003. We were 100% right. The Act, as amended, is permitting State agencies and other bodies to use generic loopholes to avoid giving out information. A number of Senators, including myself, have submitted FOI requests to the HSE, which provides a generic response that it would be detrimental to the future of the organisation and to industrial relations to provide the information requested. That is a load of codswallop. I have seen e-mails referring to reports about which I have submitted FOI requests. The Teamwork reports are available and people are referring to them at meetings but when I submit a FOI request seeking a draft report, the HSE will not provide it. Professor Drumm should publish the reports or provide them to Members because what he is doing is totally unprofessional and it is detrimental to us as politicians and to a debate in the area.