Noel Harrington (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It was a scheme that could work in practice but could it work in theory? Quite clearly, it did not work in theory but was reasonably satisfactory in practice. I ask the Secretary General if the Department of Health noted, when the Equal Status Act was being debated and adopted, that these schemes could be in contravention of that legislation? Were the schemes flagged as an issue at that time? Was the issue brought to the attention of the Government at the time?

In its deliberations in the past and up to today, has the Department considered a legislative solution to this problem? Is new legislation before the review group as a potential solution, for example?