-----for thinking that the Cabinet has become little more than rubber stamps for the will of senior civil servants-----

-----who are feathering their own nests and, while Cabinet members run around the world doing other business, are totally unaccountable to the Houses.

Can I ask the Taoiseach about when he will make himself available-----

-----to answer questions on this matter?

It needs to be done. Today, the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, was evasive-----

-----patronising and, frankly, embarrassing. He treated the Members of this House like we were idiots. The Taoiseach needs to do something about it.

The Taoiseach has 40 opportunities.

I get one of 30 seconds per week while-----

-----all these other de facto parties-----

-----are up and down like jack-in-the-boxes.

That was the most pertinent question in terms of taxpayers' money and public accountability put today.

We will see if the Taoiseach wants to answer it or not.

I know what it will be.

The national development plan states: In accordance with balanced regional development, a cancer care network for the Saolta region (West, North West) with a Cancer Centre at Galway University Hospital with appropriate infrastructure will be delivered. Yesterday, those of us from that region had the opportunity to hear a presentation from Professor Michael Kerin, who is the director of the cancer network in the Saolta University Health Care Group. He informed us that it is the busiest centre of excellence in the co…

When I came back from that presentation, where we heard we do not have enough investment and a dysfunctional cancer service in the north west, I got an email to tell us we have a new logo for the HSE in that area.

It seems we are getting ten out of ten for colour schemes but we have an inadequate cancer service. What does the Government plan to do about this, as a matter of urgency?

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for taking the time this evening. This has no bearing on the Minister of State whatsoever, but I want to point out my disappointment that we could not wheel out any one of the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, the Minister, Deputy Ryan, the Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, or the Minister, Deputy Coveney, who would have been appropriate to this issue, because I know the Minister of State will agree with me and she will read out a prepared response-----

In fairness, they were. This is, again, no reflection on the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. I am pleased she is here. The Departments were in contact. They asked me which Department and I helped in their interpretation and said any of the four I have indicated. Funnily enough, and call me old fashioned, I did not mention the Department of Health and specifically did not mention mental health. That is for others to determine. I want to talk about post offices, which as the House will be aware have been under thre…

I thank the Minister of State for reading out the reply. I appreciate that she is here, but the reply is an insult. We got a bunch of statistics. The passport service has 900 staff, has received €10 million in extra funding and it is going to be the devil and all. I expect the other Deputies in the Chamber and you, a Cheann Comhairle, would agree that the lived experience of passport processing in this country is that we have gone into reverse, at warp speed. The helpline for Deputies is not fit for purpose. I will…

He is a very well-paid public servant.