Mr. Tony O'Brien:

I will start by talking about Portiuncula Hospital, because a couple of members commented on the mention of the hospital in my statement. The final paragraph on the matter also confirmed, in relation to the cases highlighted in the media recently, that the chief clinical director of Saolta, Dr. Pat Nash, is meeting, has been meeting and is continuing to meet with other families with a view to agreeing with them how best a review of their cases can be progressed.

While the first draft of the terms of reference refers to the seven cases - there has been consultation with the families involved - it is not in any way the case that, based on discussions with those families on the most appropriate way to address their concerns, they are precluded from being part of the review, if appropriate, although it may not be appropriate. For example, it is possible that two of the families of the seven may not wish to take part in this review, and that is their choice. It is also possible that there may be other families who would be included in the review. Some of the cases, or some of the individuals who have come forward, have been involved in losses that go back as far as 35 years, so it may not be appropriate in all cases to include them in this review. Dr. Nash is proceeding sensitively and carefully to make sure the review is comprehensive and appropriate to the individual circumstances.