Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

As details are revealed about the recklessness of the regulatory regime over the past number of years, it is normal that people are as angry as they are. Yesterday there were revelations about recklessness within INBS over the past number of years and the regulatory regime during that period allowed such recklessness to take place. It is, therefore, important that we have a debate in order that the facts can be explained and we can seek to calibrate the systemic value of INBS, Anglo Irish Bank and the other institutions and whether they should be merged, wound down etc. The debate could allow us to go back over the recapitalisation proposals and to discuss the moneys outlined by the Minister for Finance that will be required to rehabilitate our financial system.

I also seek an urgent debate on the HSE's interpretation and acknowledgement of the Freedom on Information Act 1997. A year ago this week, I made an application under the Act requesting the interim report prepared by HIQA on symptomatic breast disease services in University College Hospital Galway. I highlighted at the time in the House that this request had been refused by the HSE, notwithstanding that in the letter of refusal, it basically admitted it was not meeting the relevant standards. I appealed the decision and that was declined. I then referred the file to the Information Commissioner, Ms Emily O'Reilly, for whom we can be grateful. She found in my favour and she annulled the HSE's decision not to provide the information.

I referred ad nauseam this time last year to the transfer of services from Sligo General Hospital and to the systemic importance of the information in the interim report to the people of Sligo whose services were being transferred to Galway. Clearly the HSE had something to hide and it will come out with the help of Emily O'Reilly that this is the case. However, the horse is long gone and we have the final report. The issue of secrecy and the HSE preventing access to information of importance to the public is extremely important and it is time we acknowledged the fact that an arm's length organisation such as the HSE should not have the independence to act that it has. The health boards were abolished and now we are experiencing the difficulty of not having an element of public representation within the HSE. It is allowed to hide information, which thankfully Emily O'Reilly has directed should be made available.