Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Chairman to be patient with me.

I am talking about what I have experienced in my role as an advocate. I would like to know whether each of the delegates agrees that there is a need for this form of advocacy. We cannot work on the sole basis of the goodwill that may be present. There should be a statutory obligation on people in positions of responsibility across hospital, health care and other care settings to be respectful of and open to the essential roles played by advocates. As a national spokesperson on health, I was absolutely astonished in the recent past to receive a communication from a hospital site telling me that in future representations - for example, when I might make an intervention - I would need the written consent of the patient and photographic identification of the individual concerned. In many of the cases in which I am asked to intervene, I am in Leinster House and the patient is not in a position to provide written consent. I refer to persons who might be in difficulty in accessing a transfer or whatever the case might be. It is bizarre, outrageous and totally unworkable to expect me to secure photographic identification in order that my representations can be considered. While this is an indication of the difficulties and obstacles that can be encountered, I must acknowledge that in most cases my experience has been good. People are generally respectful and co-operative, but there are instances of what I regard as extreme obstructionism.