Marie Louise O'Donnell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It was an education to be here. I am more silenced by what the witnesses had to say but also informed. Mr. O'Dwyer made a great case on why, financially, we should use palliative care, which was tough to do. He said palliative care brings down the cost of general health care. Will he talk a little more about that? He said the cost was €74 million and €60 million was raised voluntarily. Will he talk a little more about that also?

Professor Ó Brannagáin quoted Cicely Saunders, who wrote:

I once asked a man who knew he was dying what he needed above all in those who were caring for him. He said, "For someone to look as if they are trying to understand me".

I was very taken by that. My father died in a hospice - it does not matter where - and he told me it was the loneliest place he was ever in, so Professor Ó Brannagáin asks a very pertinent question. I know the hospice does the most extraordinary work but in his instance, he might not have been asked that question.

Are the witnesses advocating that we give more attention to integrating palliative care back into the acute hospital setting and that Cicely Saunders had to take it out to find out about bringing it back in?