Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Thank you Senator Mulcahy. Let me add that the committee may decide to make a strong recommendation that should this committee be re-established in the next Dáil, that under its oversight brief the new committee should examine the issue of appointing members to boards and the current legislation governing the process. That would add another layer of review.

Is petition No. P00012/14 agreed? Agreed.

Petition No. P00013/14 in the name of Ms Bridie Cox and 34 supporting petitioners, is calling for the introduction of procedural safeguards in legislation in order to prevent injustice by State officials and the HSE and for all investigations to be carried out by an independent body such as an independent dedicated health ombudsman and not by the State body itself. The whistleblowers in the HSE organisations, homes, hospitals and so on should have an independent body to report their concerns to as HIQA does not have the power to investigate individual complaints, and hospitals have no guidelines for reporting any serious case of neglect when patients are brought from HSE run homes. We discussed this. Do members wish to comment?