Seanad Report:Undertaking to arrange a general debate on the health services and the issue of public accountability, acting House leader Dan Boyle (GP) said there might be a need to revisit the establishment of many State bodies.
"I think many members share the sense of powerlessness about the establishment of many recent bodies and the impact that has had on the whole question of political accountability.
"Whatever else about political involvement, we can be sure that there is a line of communication and a line of responsibility available when such political involvement is allowed. We may need to revisit the establishment, or certainly the workings, of many State bodies to see why that does not happen any more and what can be done to change that," said Mr Boyle.
Earlier, joining in calls for a debate on the cancer services, Paudie Coffey (FG) said the more fundamental issue was public accountability.
"Are we as politicians from all sides of the House going to hand over power to the executives of this country?"
There were many examples of this, he added. They were speaking about the HSE at present. They saw it with the NRA, with the city and county managers and with the VECs.
Eoghan Harris (Ind) was loudly heckled during a contribution in which he said they should have an honest debate on the health services, not a debate on cancer. They should not be driven by one tragedy, even though he shared in the commiserations with those involved.
However, this was being politicised and used as a stick to beat the Minister, who was the toughest and the bravest ever holder of that office.
Mr Harris said the Irish health services were a nest of vested interests.
He said he believed in a free national health service and universal insurance. For once, Bertie Ahern was right when he spoke of smoke and daggers.
"The media and the consultants are creating smoke around the issue from which the consultants come out with daggers and tell us, with their daggers, that a salary of €250,00 is a Mickey Mouse one. If that is not vested interests, what is?"