Committee report backs Travers findings

An urgent overhaul of the structures of Government departments was today demanded by an Oireachtas Health Committee which remains…

An urgent overhaul of the structures of Government departments was today demanded by an Oireachtas Health Committee which remains deeply divided on the issue.

The all-party body, which has a Government majority, has been accused by Opposition members of protecting ministers and censoring public information.

Today's 250-page report was compiled after two months of hearings with ministers, advisors and officials into the 29-year illegal nursing homes charges debacle.

The findings back the Travers Report, published in March, which blamed the fiasco on systemic maladministration within the Health Department but warned ministers should have probed more.

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Today's committee report also recommended that the responsibilities and accountability of ministers should be urgently clarified.

It said there was confusion and disagreement on the interaction of ministers, Ministers of State and special advisors within the department.

It is recommended that the management, administrative structures and the legal capacity of all Government departments be examined.

The report said discussions at senior level should always take account of legal advice.

Committee chairman John Moloney said: "I strongly urge that the recommendations in this report are implemented as a top national priority and hopefully that they will make a real and positive difference to our system of democracy and public administration in the future."

The Government backbencher agreed that former Health Minister Micheal Martin should have read a briefing file on illegal nursing home charges in December 2003, but there was no question that he should resign over the issue.

Government TDs clashed with Opposition colleagues at the committee's news conference to unveil the report.

Fine Gael and Labour held a pre-emptive media briefing yesterday to highlight 12 conclusions they claimed were omitted by the document.

Mr Moloney said that the committee held a comprehensive 36 hours of hearings and took a democratic vote on the report last week.

But Green TD John Gormely said: "That is majoritarianism in action. Vital public information could have been added in the appendices but was ruled out."

"A secretary general has fallen on his sword but nobody has taken political responsibility in the political domain."

Labour deputy leader Liz McManus said: "The Government members of the committee went out to protect ministers and they succeeded."

Independent TD Jerry Cowley added: "The report is incomplete. It doesn't tell the full story. The taxpayer deserves to get the complete picture.

"The whole process was loaded in favour of the Government from the beginning. Democracy has gone out the window."

Fianna Fail senator Camillus Glynn said: "It appears to me that the Opposition went after a scalp but unfortunately for them they had no tomahawk - and hence their reaction."