Paul Bradford (Fine Gael)

I concur with those colleagues seeking a debate on the health service. I was very much taken by the comments of Senator O'Toole. To some degree I am speaking against myself politically, but when I reflect on my time in the Oireachtas and the various persons who have served in the health portfolio, namely, Deputy O'Hanlon, Deputy O'Rourke, Deputy Noonan, Deputy Martin, Deputy Howlin, Deputy Cowen and Deputy Harney, every single one of them had the best intentions and set out to do the best possible job for the health service. Unfortunately, that has not worked and we are now in the situation where, as outlined by Senator McFadden, thousands of people have deep worries about their health as a result of administrative chaos.

Senator O'Toole is correct to state that we cannot expect the Minister for Health and Children to be in every hospital and to open every file and every envelope but there still appears to be a failure of accountability and responsibility. The creation of the Health Service Executive and the plethora of sub-management lines in the system appear to have made things worse. We need an urgent debate on those structures because, whatever about the political aspect, it is clear that they are not working. It is important that we would be able to reassure our constituents that improvements will be made. We have had these debates for so long that at this stage the matter is becoming worrying which is simply not good enough.

Apropos of a debate on banking and the economy, I again ask the Leader, as I have done on many occasions, to organise hearings in the Chamber with the former social partners - the leaders of industry, the unions, farming groups and others - to discuss the economic fabric and future of the country. I am informed by the party leaders that it has been agreed to do this.