Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Indeed. The issues of the coronial process must be viewed seriously, in that there seems to have been an effort not to co-operate fully with investigations. Statements made at the coronial process may not correlate with written notes, etc. This is a serious charge and, if true, must be put right quickly. One could argue that, if people are not co-operating with their statutory obligations under the coronial process, the matter is so serious that others should be examining it.

We must not launch a witch hunt, only find out the facts. If some people are genuinely not up to doing their jobs, be it in Portlaoise or anywhere else, they must be held to account. If they cannot be supported, they should be moved elsewhere. We cannot jeopardise life-and-death services.

When information is brought to local management and senior management at national level is concerned about problems at a hospital, who oversees the former or does the issue just stop at that level without any oversight? In this case, it had been evident since 2007 that management and governance structures were weak. Issues were brought to the attention of the authorities. Perhaps we should have a system of reporting that is more efficient than merely contacting a local Deputy who writes a letter to someone else who then writes a letter to someone else and so on before it eventually falls into no-man's-land. Perhaps there should be a clear demarcation of responsibilities so that, when a complaint is reported, someone must act on it and ensure it is investigated. If concerns arise from that process, they can be addressed. If they do not, the complaint can be dismissed.