Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes. It is amazing - I think Senator Dolan has powers of mental telepathy because his comments went along the direction in which I was about to head. I compliment him on that.

My comments relate to a question Senator Colm Burke raised earlier and which I raised previously as well. I refer to the questions that should be readily available to those interested in the health sector - for example, Members of the national Parliament - and access to this information at the touch of a button. It is hugely important that this information is collated quickly and drawn together in such a way as to make it valuable in the context of a vision of a health service, particularly when incidents take place. We will not learn anything from an incident unless people are alerted right throughout the system and all the details are made available. As a result of that, we would be able to provide a better quality service.

Going back a number of years, regarding the cancer registry, I repeatedly raised those questions, which it was obvious to me needed to be dealt with, regarding the various forms of cancers, the incidents and the profiles. Eventually the registry was set up. I do not claim responsibility for it. Nowadays politicians claim responsibility for anything and even wish to be associated with minor policy details. The important aspect of the registry is that at the touch of a button the information is readily available, although not yet to the extent I would like.

I came from the background of membership of a health board at that time and could instantly see the necessity for it.

To what extent does the Department monitor everything that takes place at clinical trials? There were controversies years ago about the way they were managed and the regard for the safety of those involved in the trials. Is the Department satisfied that this proposed legislation makes adequate provision? Will we gain some further benefit from it? There is an urgent necessity, as the witnesses have said, for continued medical research in this jurisdiction in order that benefits accrue to the general population. There is always a tendency to forgo information that might be available because there might be ethical questions about it. That is where the Data Protection Commissioner and HIQA will have to lock horns in the future. I would appreciate the witnesses' comments.