Is the Tánaiste in any way concerned at the contempt of the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, for those who question him? They include, obviously, the former Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Róisín Shortall. They certainly include Opposition Deputies whose responsibility it is to hold the Minister to account and to raise the appropriate issues. Now, that contempt is also clearly held for the Standing Orders of the House, in spite of the Ceann Comhairle's efforts to compel the Minister to reply appropriately to a Deputy. The Minister's attitude could be best summed up by saying, "How dare you question me?" I believe this has been nakedly exposed by his refusal to answer clear and concise questions and the obfuscation he employs in the answers he gives. Last evening, the Minister issued a further so-called reply to me following the Ceann Comhairle's ruling yesterday to the effect that he was in breach of Standing Order 40A. That further reply oozes contempt. I will be further referring the matter to the Ceann Comhairle today. We have further evidence this week of the Minister's arrogance in the report of his so-called meeting in Leinster House earlier this week with the founder and principal of one of the country's foremost children's charities.

Whatever one's view of what took place at this week's Committee of Public Accounts, when the Secretary General of the Department of Health and the director general designate of the Health Service Executive appeared before the committee, there is undoubtedly a concern, which I have heard expressed by those of all views across the Chamber, that the engagement got off to an unprecedented bad start. Given that the Minister for Health is the person who will appoint the members of the new HSE directorate, including the director general, and the growing evidence of the Berlin Wall that he is building around himself, his Department and the HSE, has the Tánaiste any concerns about the fact that only those already working in the HSE who already hold the grade of national director can be considered for these crucial posts? Should these opportunities not be open to public competition? Is the Minister really a fit person to make the judgment or to make the appointments while he is obviously building defences around himself?

When the Government was formed we committed ourselves to operating in a transparent way to ensure that all Ministers would be accountable to the House and, through the House, to the public. We introduced reform against a background of many years of complaints. There were inadequate procedures in place, so that if a Minister came in and did not give a full reply or if members of the Opposition or a Deputy asking a question were not satisfied with the reply, there was no recourse. We introduced a new procedure or Standing Order and we asked the House to agree that where a Member was not satisfied with a reply from a Minister, the Member could take the case to the Ceann Comhairle and the Ceann Comhairle could make a ruling on it. I am glad we did so and that the new procedure is being used. I believe this is the best and most respectful way that the Government can treat Members who have questions to be answered. Every Minister is accountable to the Dáil and its Members and is required to answer questions. I hope the procedure Deputy Ó Caoláin has used in respect of his questions to the Minister for Health will be used again by other Members because we believe in accountability and in providing answers to questions.

The Committee of Public Accounts is probably one of the most respected institutions in the country. It has a long record of doing fine work because it operates - it has operated until now, anyway - on a non-partisan basis. The procedure has been that a member of the Opposition is appointed to chair the committee and to conduct the business of the committee in an non-partisan, all-party way to hold individual Departments, the Accounting Officers of Departments and the Accounting Officers of public bodies to account for their financial management.

Hear, hear.

I have no wish to add to the controversy of the past couple of days on the conduct of business in the Committee of Public Accounts, save to say that I appeal to all, including the Chairman of that committee, to ensure the committee is not used in a partisan way and that the traditions of the Committee of Public Accounts are used to deal with the matters of financial management with which the committee is supposed to deal.

He must be joking.

He should tell that to the Civil Service.

I hope that practice will be continued in future.

That is an outrageous attack on the Committee of Public Accounts.

It is not an attack at all.

Sorry, Deputy; would you mind if Deputy Ó Caoláin asks a supplementary question, please, without interruption?

I, too, have welcomed the Standing Order change. When the Tánaiste speaks of "we" in respect of ensuring that there is a mechanism for Members to compel Ministers to reply, I agree and I welcome the ruling of the Ceann Comhairle in this regard. The Tánaiste says "we welcome" and "we support", but if he saw what the Minister, Deputy Reilly, offered me last evening on the back of the Ceann Comhairle's decision he would know that "we" does not apply to the Minister at the helm of the Department of Health. I have to say that it is a serious matter indeed, and I hope it will be appropriately addressed, because it underlines again - this is why I am highlighting it among other matters this morning - that the Minister, Deputy Reilly, is not a fit person to be at the helm of the Department of Health. That is simply the bottom line.

In the course of my questions I asked the Tánaiste if he held any concerns about the Minister's ongoing attitude. Let us make no mistake: there are Members in the House, including members of the Tánaiste's party, who view what occurred at the Committee of Public Accounts as indicative and demonstrative of what is wrong at the helm of the Department of Health and of the Minister's disposition permeating to all at the highest level within that Department.

I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin.

I would ask the Tánaiste to note that there are reports this morning that there is growing disillusionment within his party at the Minister, Deputy Reilly's, continued stewardship of the Department of Health.

Sorry, Deputy, you are over time.

That is real and the Tánaiste cannot deny it. He cannot hide or run away from it. It is real and it is there. He should recognise what is happening there. There is only a limited timeframe in which the Tánaiste would have the opportunity to act as the leader of the Labour Party in this coalition-----

I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin.

-----and before the Minister, Deputy Reilly, completes the construction of the motte and bailey around himself and ensures that he will be beyond the Tánaiste's reach.

Would Deputy Ó Caoláin please respect the Chair?

I would urge the Tánaiste to take the appropriate action and to demand his removal forthwith.

The national conscience.

On accountability, as I have said, every Minister is accountable to this House. The Government has put in place new procedures to enhance that accountability.

No criteria.

I am glad to see them being used and I hope that they will be used more frequently.

With regard to the Minister for Health, this House disposed of that issue in a motion.

It did not dispose of the Minister.

The motion was put, the vote was taken and the conclusion was reached.

Deputy O'Caoláin has no concern for the Labour Party. The only concern that Sinn Féin ever has is to promote Sinn Féin at every opportunity and to seize on every issue-----

From where did the Tánaiste come?

-----not to promote or resolve the problems of the people but to promote the electoral interests of Sinn Féin.

The Labour Party was only a vehicle of convenience for the Tánaiste's political ambition. He has even less concern for the Labour Party and his record confirms it.

It is hard to beat the stickies.

I call Deputy Boyd Barrett.

In case he did not hear me, I call Deputy Boyd Barrett. It is a pity the Fianna Fáil leader is not here to keep them quiet. When the cat's away the mice will play.