Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We should approach this issue in a calm and measured manner. The Government has said that it will arrange a debate on this matter and that it will deal with it comprehensively and carefully. Governments should be given time to deal with reports like this after they are published. That is what this Government is doing. I remind the Leader that it is important for this House to have a debate on this report. We should deal with it comprehensively. We need to ensure procedures are put in place when an issue arises and the State is involved. I am reminded of the nursing home cases long ago. In that case, the State kicked the issue around for 24 years without doing anything about it. When an issue arises, we should not allow any Department to try to push it under the carpet. That seems to have been the approach of Administrations in this country for far too long. It is time we changed that system. We need to put procedures in place to ensure that when valid complaints about how we do our business in this country are raised, they are dealt with immediately rather than being left lying around for ten, 20, 30, 40 or 50 years.