Phil Prendergast (Labour)

The issue I raise relates to the dignity and relevance of the House. On 16 June last the Seanad debated the Health Service Executive, with the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, present. At the time I stated the Government side had colluded with the Minister to help her to avoid answering questions during the debate. I expressed this concern twice and the Leader twice responded that I did not have reason to worry, as the Minister would return to the House. When I raised the issue on 22 June, Senator Feeney, the Acting Chairman, stated the Minister had taken detailed notes of the questions raised and had undertaken to reply to Senators when she next came before the House. The Leader indicated that the Minister had agreed to return to the House and would do so within two weeks. I did not believe the assurances I had been given and Senator Buttimer and I raised the issue again on the Order of Business on 6 July. The Leader responded that the Minister would return to the House the following week when the debate would resume. Nothing of the sort happened and when the debate resumed on 29 September, almost 15 weeks after it had commenced, the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, was in attendance. During the debate I did not receive a response to any of the issues I had raised with the Minister in June. When I raised this as a point of order, I was alarmed to learn from the Leas-Chathaoirleach that he could not direct the Minister to answer any questions. The important debate has acquired greater significance following the Minister's statement today that cuts of between €600 million and €1 billion will be made next year.

The debate in June addressed one of the few areas of public policy that attracts cross-party support and agreement, namely, the manner in which the Health Service Executive behaves. The questions many other Senators and I raised were important to many people. For instance, I referred to decisions to close services without an appraisal of the options, HSE decisions that had resulted in the Minister breaking her word, the impact the cervical cancer vaccine programme would have on those who normally relied on public health nurses and the waste of money by the HSE. The Minister has a duty to address the issues and should not be facilitated in dodging questions anywhere, least of all in this House. As the person in charge of the health service, I want her to be accountable to the Upper House. On this occasion, she was not accountable, which demeans the Seanad and defeats its purpose. It supports the case of those who argue that this House is irrelevant and a waste of taxpayers' money. It certainly was irrelevant on this occasion and certainly wasted money because it is estimated that the Seanad accounts for between 20% and 25% of the entire cost of the Oireachtas, which is upwards of €20 million annually. This means that it costs the guts of €200,000 per day to run the Seanad and if one makes a conservative estimate that a three-hour debate comprises one third of Members' average working day, then this Seanad debate costs €75,000, not including the hours of the Minister's staff. All that money and all that effort, which supposedly was directed to addressing matters of public concern, was completely wasted.