Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his contribution. The basis of Senator Mullen's amendments is valid; it is reasonable to expect that there be accountability. I completely and utterly support that. I do not believe it is placed here. As a member of the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Joint Committee on Disability Matters, having the clear line of accountability is urgent, as is making sure we have a senior Minister who is clearly in charge of disabilities and disability services and as is having accountability and oversight of the HSE in circumstances where services shamefully are not being delivered. At times, decisions are made that prejudice the service delivery of the HSE based on personality clashes and all sorts of issues that are outrageous. Therefore, I very much welcome the move of this Department and the fantastic work of the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, into the Minister's Department. From our working relationship, I know that I can get on hounding him very effectively and that he will listen to what we say and hear what we need. To be fair, much of what I have to say the Minister will know and be apprised of it already.

I am glad to hear there is a health amendment Bill that will deal with the governance of the HSE. The Senators and I will probably have much to say on it together when the time comes. I also think I could support Senator Mullen in the context of the Charities Act and a review of the Charities Regulator and how that works. Not only should we have accountability for taxpayers' money but we should also have accountability in respect of charities that are taking large sums of money from Russian oligarchs. An EU report has pointed to some such Irish charities, which have been the very charities that have spoken out against matters of the State. There is an interesting alignment going on that my office is currently researching.

The Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, was present when we last spoke on this Bill on Second Stage. It is great that the Minister is here on Committee Stage. There is a real urgency for oversight. In community healthcare organisation, CHO, 7 that covers the constituency in which I live, there are no services available for children at present. It is terribly under-resourced and we have a real problem with recruitment and the panel system. Somebody has to grab that issue by the scruff of the neck and sort it out because there has been a delay in getting the appropriate people into the appropriate places. I look forward to that responsibility being under the remit of the Department because thus far, we have not been making any progress while it was under the health remit. I appreciate and support this Bill.