Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

No, it is a question I raised earlier. I would like an answer to it. I was watching on the monitor and I do not think it was referred to. The report states, in summary, that at the time of the investigation Portlaoise was not resourced as a model 3 hospital, that it was excluded from the smaller hospital framework, and that it was awaiting its role within the hospital group set out by the Higgins report.

It was one of the ten hospitals that were initially identified by the HSE with risks similar to those identified in the Ennis hospital report. Subsequently, it was taken out of the small hospitals framework and included as a level 3 hospital. While that was a policy decision, as I asked Mr. O'Brien previously, at what level or when can the HSE say the policy that is being espoused is just not achievable in terms of patient safety? That is critical. While we have Mr. O'Brien in here, we obviously point the finger at him, but in terms of responsibility, when can he say that he cannot implement the policy because he does not have the resources or it is unsafe, even if the policy dictates he should? Surely there is some line of demarcation on that.

As regards any disciplinary actions, who writes the terms for reference for that? Is it the HSE itself or does it bring in outside individuals, or otherwise, in terms of disciplinary action? The one question I would really like an answer to concerns the issue of Portlaoise and the small hospitals framework.

Ultimately, the HSE representatives are public servants and in that is the hint - the service must be provided to the public. It is always about the public and in every element of that from now on, that should be the clearly defining role of everyone involved in the delivery of health care in this country. Those services are in place for the public, not the other way around.