Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to highlight the debate taking place this evening on the horse and greyhound racing fund. The Leader agreed to my request that the debate be extended beyond the original 45 minutes. We are looking at the allocation of some €64 million next year to the horse and greyhound racing fund.There are major issues within the greyhound sector. The Irish Greyhound Board will receive in the region of €307,000 in subvention per week next year. I ask that sufficient time be granted this evening so all interested Senators can partake in the debate. More important, I ask that the Minister stay to answer questions. I am not sure whether this can be facilitated.

I agree with Senator Gerard Craughwell on the approach of trying to get a political scalp. It is not the right way to serve our country in the best interest of citizens. Trying to take someone else out will not improve the accountability of the Government or the governance of our country, nor will it help those who require State services most. We must fundamentally rethink how we do government and how civil servants respond to requests from Ministers, this House and the Dáil, particularly at a very senior level. We must remember that the senior civil servants in this jurisdiction are not accountable at the ballot box. Therefore, serious questions arise over responsiveness, accountability, and the way organisations are managed, controlled and run.

There is a big question whose answer eludes us all - the question of whether the Department of Justice and Equality has been captured by the senior management within An Garda Síochána. We can all give our opinion or view. There is now a requirement, as we approach 100 years of independence, to review our Civil Service and determine whether it is fit for purpose? Is senior management held to account or not? This thinking could extend to the local government sector. In my view, senior management across the local authorities is not held to account by councillors because the latter do not have the power to do so. Therefore, there is a real need to examine this.

It is easy to go after a politician, ask another Minister to step down, or go after the current Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Charlie Flanagan. That is not the right approach here. If we are to do the State some service — what happened over the weekend certainly did — we should be looking further than the political system. We must consider the core realm of responsibility across all Departments, which is at senior civil servant level.