James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Maloney asked about the arrangements and contracts of consultants with regard to the private hospital at St. Vincent's. Mr. O'Brien will deal with that in detail. I started an inquiry into these issues arising from the Tallaght issue, with the HIQA report exposing a separate stream of income for certain individuals. That process is continuing and I fully support Mr. O'Brien and the HSE in ensuring that people observe the rules as laid out in the contracts they have.

Deputy Conway addressed comments mainly to Mr. O'Brien but as a Minister I must respond to the issue of open disclosure, which will be our policy to be rolled out across the country. The Deputy is 100% correct in that it improves patient safety and reduces the amount of litigation. The patient safety agency will be formed and the chief executive job is to be advertised shortly. The agency will play a significant role in helping patients who have complaints, from those which some may see as less important to the most important. Any complaint from a patient must be pursued to his or her satisfaction, and a patient safety agency will help them do that. As we have seen with Portlaoise, people have one blockage after another put in their way and end up totally frustrated before going to the law, which creates tremendous expense and stress for families and, ultimately, the taxpayer, as we will have to pay the costs in the end. I am deeply disturbed that with one recent year, from €60 million paid out in medical legal claims, €20 million went to the legal profession. I have no fight with the legal profession but I want the people who suffer harm to get the money rather than those in the legal profession.

Mr. O'Brien can give an update on hospital groups, as well as on Portlaoise and the INMO figures on midwifery.

Deputy Catherine Byrne asked about a number of issues, some of which I will have to refer to the HSE. I can comment on the Davitt Road site. A site was purchased on Davitt Road. The purpose of purchasing it is to reduce any planning risk on the St. James's site, which is minimal but exists. I cannot say what precisely is planned to go on it at this juncture; I do not know if that has been decided yet. The delay in planning is true. I am told it will be delayed for a couple of months but, due to parallel processes, we will still have the commissioning of this hospital in 2018. The Deputy also asked about nicotine patches for pregnant women. I will ask the Department to carry out a costing exercise. Dr. Devlin is here and while it is not precisely his remit, but it would be loosely in that area. He will talk to Dr. Fenton Howell, who is head of our tobacco unit. I agree with the Deputy that it is terribly important to protect the unborn child from the hazards of tobacco. Mr. John Hennessy will reply to the question about the primary care centres.