Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are looking to ensure that fair procedures are put in place for dealing with these allowances.

Senator Feargal Quinn raised a very important issue relevant to how matters are introduced in the House. There seems to be an attitude in the Department of Health that an issue must be parked for three years before it can be touched. This also relates to the review of the mobility allowance. Why does it take Departments so long to respond to an issue when it is raised in a genuine fashion? We seem to keep kicking the can down the road so as not to arrive at decisions. We should examine why, when an issue is introduced in the House, it may be three or four years before we try to deal with it. I ask the Leader to raise the matter with the Minister for Health and have a debate on this issue. When something is raised in a genuine fashion, we must try to move it on within a reasonable period.