Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport is too busy stuffing State boards. Ministers are not paying attention to their budgets. My colleague, Senator John Crown, has called for the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, to stay in his current position. I would like him to come into the House before he goes anywhere else to explain the shambles in the Department of Health. We have seen the medical card disaster and the budget overrun by €158 million by May this year. We have seen appointments to State boards under the Minister's Department, with one person appointed because he was a good footballer for his county. Surely that is not a qualifying criterion for appointment to any Sate Board. The Department of Health is in a shambles and as a result 64 voluntary and community organisations have had their funding cut.

In 2010 the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Taoiseach said there would be a new political plan and a democratic revolution - real reform is what they promised. In the past six months only 12 Bills have passed through both Houses, the worst performance of any Government in a generation. Deputy Enda Kenny promised openness and transparency.