29 March 2007
Dr. Henry: I am not one of those who believes that when a body is established, the Minister in charge of the relevant area automatically loses responsibility. If one reads legislation such as the Health Bill 2006, which will come before the House today, or the Pharmacy Bill 2007, which came before the House last week, one finds that when a Minister appoints people to a new body he or she retains a significant amount of control over the relevant functions. To give them their due, many Ministers believe they should retain certain powers.
I return to an issue I and many other Senators raised last week, namely, water pollution in the Galway and south Mayo area. The Deputy Leader realises the gravity of the situation, which has worsened since it was acknowledged that the form of cryptosporidium involved can be spread not only by water but also from person to person where hygiene is poor. Given that the Ministers for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs have not said anything useful on the issue, I ask that the Minister for Health and Children come before the House to discuss the deteriorating problem. I do not believe she would shirk from a debate. It is possible the problem will continue for at least six months. I would like to know how the Minister proposes to address this difficult issue.
Senator Glynn raised the issue of mental health services. When I first entered the House almost 15 years ago, I requested a debate on the report of the then Inspector of Mental Hospitals. These reports had not been discussed previously. As I prepare to leave the House, I find that the report of the Inspector of Mental Health Services, while not as bad as previously, indicates that the necessary improvements have not been made. The House should discuss the most recent report with the Minister for Health and Children, either before Easter or during the short period in which it will sit after the Easter recess.
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