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A FIANNA FÁIL TD has told the senior civil servant at the Department of Health – who only took the position six months ago – to resign, telling him he is “a disgrace as a public official”.
Seán Fleming, the party’s public expenditure spokesman, walked out of the meeting of the Public Accounts Committee after Dr Ambrose McLoughlin said he could not answer an early question about the delay in reaching a deal to cut the price paid by the State for prescription drugs.
McLoughlin – who is also the chairman of the HSE, by virtue of his Department position – said he was legally barred from answering questions on government policy. That prompted a furious outburst from Fleming, who then left the meeting.
“You’re a disgrace as a public official,” the Laois-Offaly TD charged.
You are not fit for office as chairman of the HSE. You should resign. You are a disgrace.I’m leaving this room. I won’t sit here any further, to this charade of a meeting, which is a disgrace to the Oireachtas and to the people of Ireland.
Both McLoughlin and the HSE’s incoming chief executive Tony O’Brien had opened the meeting by expressing unease at how they had received a draft report from the committee yesterday evening, which made regular reference to policy matters they could not discuss.
Committee chairman John McGuinness, of Fianna Fáil, said the draft report was “not a big issue” – and that it had only been sent to McLoughlin and O’Brien so that they could correct any factual errors in it.
Both Labour’s Michael McCarthy and Fine Gael’s Simon Harris expressed regret at Fleming’s behaviour. Harris said on examining HSE figures for July, he could not find a single hospital which was within its budget by that time.
O’Brien said the higher-than-expected attendances at emergency wards, and the larger numbers who are eligible for medical cards, would contribute to about €200 million of the HSE’s deficit.
That deficit, at the end of September, stood at €374 million. It had been €329 million at the end of August.
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Why can’t we have a system like Switzerland, Direct Democracy. How hard would it be in the internet age for people to vote directly, like on the bank bailout or on budget decisions. Are they afraid of us making the right decisions. Democracy in the States and pretty much everywhere else is a illusion, doesn’t mean jack.
Would any of us have known enough to vote on the bank bailout deal?
As for budget decisions we would all vote for the measures that suited us and against those that didn’t
Bad and all as the present system is it is better than a free for all.
it works perfectly in switzerland so why wouldnt it work here.
Well Justin, could we have got it more wrong?
Maybe it’s time the Irish looked across the Atlantic more throughly, having the British run Ireland wasn’t too popular, having the EU run it is rapidly losing popularity, why not get O’Bama to take a try? 51st State?
We could become Area 51, aliens everywhere?
Right, the changes would be hardly noticeable.
I’d like that, Ireland would be part of the US. Tougher approach towards welfare, crime, immigration and we’d definitely take back our fisheries and natural resources. Win win
We’d take back our fisheries and give them to huge conglomerates who would outsource the fishing industry to China.
Fair enough, I don’t really know what I’m talking about anyway
No one does, Cholly.
We would all have guns :) oh and our own sickening bible belt rejecting science :)
Ok you all win, I have particular annoyance with bible nuts and creationists! The whole rejection of the sciences that’s growing in America is frightening. I remember reading somewhere that 1/3 of Americans don’t believe in evolution
cholly look up tim minchin evolution, the figure is more like 1/2 with a further 1/3 believing in evolution under supernatural control
The author is seriously wrong in , at least , one respect. It is stated that the the Irish Government can dissolve the Dail. I thought the Taoiseach can REQUEST the President to dissolve it . Did we not have this in the not too distance? Was the late Brian Lenihan Snr involved ?
*distant past *
One would not like a system like the USA whereby the majority cannot elected their President. Gore received the popular vote , but due to this crazy system of electroal college votes he did not get elected. and Bush did. The rest is history and the World suffered because of it
Bad example, if the recount was allowed to go ahead Gore would have probably won Florida and the Presidency.
Politicians earn a large salary on the premise that they know what they’re doing when in fact it’s the highly paid advisers in the background that do all the work and prompt them
America is a constitutional republic, and so is Ireland.
Look at what just happened in California with proposition 30. Another tax increase on the wealthy amounts to more debt and job losses in that state.
“Democracy is 4 wolves and one sheep deciding on what is for dinner”
America and Ireland are democratic republics. Get used to it.
California is doing just fine, despite Prop 30′s anonymous opponents in Arizona spending 11 million to defeat a measure that would take effect in another state. Wonder why?
Oh, temporary tax increases on those making more than a million a year!
It is strange you have ideas about “what happened in California” when the proposition hasn’t even taken effect yet.
The proposition actually saves jobs in colleges and universities. It makes higher education more affordable for everyone.
If you don’t like democracy, try moving to Saudi Arabia.
I assume you’re implying that the “wolves” are the super-rich? So they must constitute 80% of the population? Oh wait, no. Proposition 30 was democratically approved by a majority “sheep” population.
Each of the candidates spent a billion dollars running for office.
The money didn’t come without strings attached. Be on guard to prevent that happening here.
That would never happen here.
I think parliamentary system is slightly better than the US system. In the US it is too easy to deflect or take all the credit for something when really the whole system has to work for something to happen. For example the surplus in the 90′s Bill Clinton takes credit but the Republican’s also take credit because they controlled Congress. But I think state and local government is much better in the US.
were a democracy?? I had no idea!!
General elections, local elections, referenda, do try to keep up there Patrick!!!
We aren’t a democracy. We are a Republic.
It’s in the title of our country
Ireland is a democratic republic. The two terms are not mutually exclusive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy
Well said
It makes feck all difference corruption is deeply ingrained on both sides of the Atlantic
“This electoral system drives candidates into the centre and contributes sometimes to the sense of frustration that there is not much difference between our main parties.”
Seriously? Your complaint is that Irish politics isn’t extreme and partisan enough? I’ll take Labour-Gael over the republican party any day of the week. Encouraging politicians to appeal to the entire population is a good thing.
We should go down the US road of a Presidential government whose members don’t have to be parliamentarians and therefore are not constantly looking over their shoulders at party rivals in their constituencies taking their seats. Unlike the American syste, he/she should be elected by direct popular vote. The dithering over the location of the children’s hospital shows that Coalition govt is ineffective. The Oireachtas should function as a check and balance on the executive. Unlike the American system however, I would have both houses vote by simple majority. Much of the paralysis in the American system derives from the ability of 41 Senators to prevent votes.
have your say