Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I heard him speaking about a lack of accountability and holding Government to account. I ask Senator Gavan, wearing both his trade union hat and his public representative hat, to hold his former president, Gerry Adams, to account. The Senator should ask Mr. Adams to apologise to the people he sullied with his video this week. I say that as a republican and as somebody who wants to have united Ireland that is respectful of all traditions. I ask Senator Gavan to do that.

Senator McDowell's overarching point is one we need to focus on. We all recall that last Christmas, An tUachtarán sent a letter to the Ceann Comhairle and the Cathaoirleach about the way successive governments have put Bills before him at the end of the year. Similarly, it would be appropriate that we would do something similar with the Appropriation Bill. We should not have Bills on the very last day and the very last journey. The document containing the Revised Estimates for the public service for 2022 is a tome in itself. I understand and appreciate that select committees deal with the allocation of finances and resources. That is good, appropriate and proper. However, our total gross expenditure is €87,593 million. All of that is our Government spending money on behalf of our citizens. I believe a level of scrutiny is needed by us in this House on matters of financial interest. I know we cannot put a block on a budget - we do not debate the budget - or put a block on a finance Bill, although we can make recommendations. As part of the reform of the Seanad, we can look at that again. I believe that by comparison to other parliaments, we have good scrutiny and accountability in the House. However, we need to look at how we can do it better in a post-Covid way. I share Senator McDowell’s sentiment that we are elected and the Government is elected in Parliament. I will finish on the point that we need to have scrutiny. I know there is time for questions in the Dáil, but we need to have scrutiny. I agree with the fundamental point that Senator McDowell made about NPHET. I think government by media is bad for our country. NPHET and the national immunisation advisory committee are unelected. Although they are experts, we should be included more to give parliamentary oversight, in my opinion.