Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

-----it was as a result of events in Portlaoise that we had to decide how to deal with a recurrence of such situations. One deals with them by trying to deal with the clinical needs of the patients concerned, as Deputy Gilmore said.

The clinical review in Tallaght hospital is being carried out. It is being conducted by qualified persons such as radiologists to deal with the backlog. I agree there will have to be an inquiry into why the backlog is so great. That will have to be dealt with as a wider issue.

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