Testing centres and child assessments
With time limited, three Deputies raised different matters: testing centres in Louth, long waits for children's psychological assessments, and accountability in banking. The Minister said he would follow up on the testing centre and assessments, then echoed concerns about banking culture and accountability.
There are three Deputies remaining - Deputies Ó Murchú, Tully and Nash. If I give them 30 seconds each, they can raise their three matters.
Comment on this
My question relates to testing centres. We also have a difficulty with the numbers in County Louth at present, specifically at the north end of the county. We are talking about the test centre being moved from Dundalk to Ardee. Deputy Munster has mentioned on many occasions that there is no test centre in Drogheda. We are talking about two large urban setting and chasing down this virus. We need to look at rapid testing and other matters but we need to ensure there are test centres in the right places. There is a difficulty for people in terms of cars. We have a difficulty with ambulance services anyway and we do not want to put them under any more strain.
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I want to raise the issue of children waiting for psychological assessments. The waiting list is quite long as it is but it has been exacerbated by Covid. Many psychologists have been drafted in to conduct testing and tracing. As a result, many children are waiting on the list and they cannot get the supports they need without the assessments. Can the Minister give me an update on that?
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The KBC tracker mortgage scandal illustrates something problematic in this country, namely, we do not do accountability. The culture of banking needs to change in this country. While my party welcomes the €18.3 million fine issued by the Central Bank today, it does not change anything in terms of holding individual bankers to account for their actions. Corporations do not make decisions; individuals do. Two years ago, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, promised to introduce a new senior executive accountability regime. The Minister has failed to do that. Can the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, inform the House as to when that new regime will be in place?
Comment on this
Starting with Deputy Ó Murchú, we were here on the Topical Issue debate the other night on the issue of testing centres. If my memory serves me correctly, the issue about the need for one in Drogheda, Louth and Dundalk was raised. I am trying to recall what the Minister of State said at the time. I understand he did not rule out the delivery of that testing centre.
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The HSE is operating one per county.
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I will come back to the Deputy if I have any news on that.
I would have to say the same to Deputy Tully. I will have to provide a written reply. I will ask the relevant Minister to provide an assessment. I do not have the figures here in front of me. I will forward the question to the Minister and ask that he replies.
Lastly, I agree with Deputy Nash. I refer to the problem in the Irish banking sector in the past 40 or 50 years. It is not a recent phenomenon. There has been a range of instances dating right back where lax standards in character, culture and tolerance of failings have bedevilled Irish banking and that needs to change. I am not aware of what the Minister, Deputy Donohoe's proposals were with regard to monitoring and policing standards in that area but white-collar crime cannot pay. We must make sure that such crime is seen to be treated in the same way as if someone was robbing in a different way. I do not have the particular legislative measure but I will try to find out and respond.