Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I would welcome such a debate.

Following on from calls made in previous weeks for a debate on the Health Service Executive and, in particular, the Health Act 2004, the Act has failed and requires to be repealed or at least amended to provide for representative influence on policy and in the workings of the executive which, as I said last week, now accounts for in excess of 50% of the tax take of the country. It can do as it sees fit in an independent way because when the public wishes to adjudicate on policy or its performance, it seems it can systematically hide the information from it. Despite the Freedom of Information Act, we depend on the good offices of the Ombudsman, Ms Emily O'Reilly, to have the information made available to the public. Overall, while there is much good work being done in the HSE by the many fine professionals working within it, its structure has failed. It requires public representative influence which the public expects. I seek a debate on the issue as a matter of urgency.