Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also extend my condolences to the family of the former Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, Rory Kiely. I know we will have an opportunity in the near future to speak in more detail about his life and his contribution to the country.

I must raise the extraordinary revelations by Dr. Gabriel Scally this morning on the level of co-operation he has been receiving from the Department of Health. It is absolutely shocking. When are those people going to wake up and smell the coffee? The Secretary General of the Department resigned. He was pushed out due to a popular revolt because people are sick and tired of people in leadership in this country who fail in their responsibilities and who are never held to account. One would have thought that the remaining leadership of that Department and the HSE would have said they would not fail to co-operate with Dr. Scally in the important work he is doing in the scoping inquiry. It is stunning to learn that this morning.

I trust that the Minister will get a grip on the situation. He has called on the Department of Health and the HSE to fully co-operate but we need to see a complete change in culture. We talked about the Department of Justice and Equality and all the scandals that engulfed it. A full review was carried out on the organisation. The failures we witnessed in that regard were stunning. We see what is happening now in the Department of Health. There must be a change at the higher level of Departments, which are failing and letting down the vast majority of public and civil servants who are honourable, decent, hardworking people.

The Leader will be aware that the State will be allocated two additional seats in the next European elections. Will the Government seriously consider allocating those two seats to the North of Ireland, the Six Counties? The majority of people in the North of Ireland rejected the proposition of Brexit. Increasing numbers in the North are seeing the absolute folly of that proposition, the impact it will have on the island, and how it undermines the Good Friday Agreement. The people of the North voted against Brexit. They voted to remain in the European Union. They voted to continue to have a voice in the European Parliament and they are being denied that. They are being denied their democratic choice.

I acknowledge the position taken by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Coveney, and the Taoiseach in terms of the North and the Brexit negotiations at this point has been the right one by all of the people on this island of Ireland, but it would be wrong to not at least examine every possibility of allocating those two seats to the North of Ireland. It would be the clearest signal yet that we defend the interests of the people of the North of Ireland and that we reject the folly, arguably the lunacy, of Brexit, certainly in terms of the implications for this island and that we defend and stand by the democratic decision of the people of the North.I ask that the Leader seriously consider and pursue that option. It would be the clearest sign yet of our position in terms of the people of the North.