Jim Walsh (Fianna Fail)

I support the expressions of concern in regard to the situation in Tallaght Hospital. I agree with what Senator Ross said. The political thing to do is to accuse the Minister of being in some way responsible. However, that undermines the whole system, in particular the accountability factor. Last night and this morning I heard people talk about another systems failure. This was not a systems failure but a case of an individual or individuals who failed to do their job properly in the public service. The time has come when those people must be held to account in the same way as those in the private sector who err grievously in the carrying out of their duties are held to account. Unless we do that, we will not have accountability in the public service.

I noted that the Committee of Public Accounts recently focused on the hospital consultants' contracts. Alarmingly, they discovered that 226 hospital consultants have failed to comply with the terms of their contracts in regard to the 80% public to 20% private work. Those in management in the HSE must ensure that aspect of the contract is enforced. This resonates with what happened in the past when contracts requiring 70% public to 30% private work ended up being 60% public to 40% private work. In some instances I suspect it was almost 50% public to 50% private work. It is scandalous, given the huge increases in salaries awarded as part of them, if these contracts are not policed in a way that patients and taxpayers get the benefit of those contracts. I have already criticised the fact those salaries are far too high. They are 50% in excess of what is paid to consultants' counterparts in England, for example. They are unsustainable.

I support the arguments put forward in regard to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources unanimously recommended that the levy be annulled. Another arm of Government, with a budget of €7.6 million, which is 46% or 47% up on last year, wants to levy the private sector. That is unsustainable. I will vote with the Government on the Order of Business but I put on record my dissatisfaction with any solution that does not tell the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland that the maximum budget it should be allowed is €5 million and that asks it to come back with an organisation chart and programme to achieve that.