Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

Having viewed the television programme last night I, like other colleagues, am very uncomfortable, to say the least, at what I heard and saw. There is obviously a ploy in regard to what the HSE does relevant to facilities. Local management, including administrative and nursing management, make a request to the HSE for the upgrading of facilities, which does not come about. Subsequently, HIQA is asked to conduct a review of the standards of that facility which, invariably, are found to be less than satisfactory. It is not a new phenomenon. It happened in St. Loman's Hospital in Mullingar. I am the first to say that if I had had my way, I would have closed all the psychiatric hospitals 30 years ago and replaced them with appropriate facilities. That was not done and, as a consequence, we still have the current situation.

I spent many years caring for elderly people. I am appalled at the situation which obtains at the moment. The HSE is not working out. All of us in this Chamber must be brave and say it is not working. The Cathaoirleach will recall that when he was a member of the Midland Health Board, which he chaired, as I did, every time there was a meeting, the management of the board had to respond to questions from the Cathaoirleach, from me, from Senator Cassidy and from Senator McFadden's father, who was a member of the board. Members of the board visited the facilities and inspected them, and a report went before the next meeting of the board, for which management had to account. That structure is gone and more is the pity. People on both sides of the House could not get rid of the boards quickly enough. I say now: "Come back health boards; all is forgiven."