asked the Minister for Health if he issued a circular to CEOs requesting information as to the political affiliation of members of the health boards.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Health Board Members.
31.
I have not asked CEOs for information on the political affiliations of all members of health boards, nor do I think that it would be proper for me to do so. The Deputy is, I think, referring to a routine request sent recently to health boards asking that, when the new local authority appointments to the boards have been made after the forthcoming local elections, particulars of the appointees will be sent to the Department. For convenience, the CEOs were asked to include the party affiliations, where known, of these local authority appointees. This information, as the Deputy will be aware, could have otherwise been gathered from published sources, since the appointees in question will all have been elected to local authorities in the forthcoming local elections. I would stress that the request concerning information, where known, of party affiliations applies only to board members appointed by local authorities, that is, local authority councillors.
If, as the Parliamentary Secretary has stated, this information was available to him in respect of local authority members, why was it necessary to issue the circular?
It was considered appropriate to get the information in relation to the new boards together with the details already available.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary accept that there has been some misunderstanding about this among members? They were at a loss to interpret the mind of the Minister and perhaps they might be given an assurance that it was not as they thought, that he was not indicating an interest in the political affiliations of members?
What I have said is quite clear and is true. All the Minister was looking for was something already publicly and readily available.
If that is the case why was the letter necessary?
There could be a change in affiliations, like in Donegal.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware of the low level of power-sharing by Fianna Fáil in the Western Health Board? It is a disgrace.
Questions must be relevant. I am calling Question No. 32.