Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am already scared about what is going to be on tonight's "Prime Time" documentary, so I do not know what I am going to be like when I have actually seen it. It seems to me it will be necessary to ask the Minister for Health to come before this House but perhaps also the Minister for Justice and Equality. If, despite HIQA reports, assault of any kind has gone on in Áras Attracta or, indeed, in any other care setting, we need to know very quickly whether the matter is to be reported to the proper authorities for criminal investigation.

One of the disturbing things that is already emerging is that, despite having mechanisms to audit standards and to ensure there are protocols and rule books in place, it still seems that people are capable of mistreating each other, in particular that people on salaries are capable of mistreating people under their care. That is the really scary thing that appears to be coming out of tonight's report. Therefore, we are going to have to set an example so that people who are employed to care for others know that it is not a matter of being suspended on pay while some kind of investigation goes on in order to see how things can be done better in the future. There have to be consequences if there is any kind of abusive or oppressive social care.

I also ask the Leader for a debate on the issue of the broadcasting charge. Many people would like to know if the charge has gone away or if it is going to happen. We have been getting mixed messages from the Government, with Government sources suggesting the broadcasting charge is not going to be introduced in light of the furore over the water charge, or water tax, but the Minister, Deputy Alex White, himself a former trade union official in RTE and a former employee of RTE, saying he is not abandoning the charge and that he is still committed to delivering it.

People would like to know. People who have the difficult task of budgeting to see whether they can afford the raft of charges that have been imposed on them in recent years are entitled to know whether they are going to face a broadcasting charge in the future. I am certainly of the view that, at a time when, it would appear, people are being paid up to €500,000 to work for a State broadcaster, there are serious questions about the use of public money in funding broadcasting. I certainly believe the imposition of a broadcasting charge on people will be unfair.