Dr. Peter Boylan:

Money is short but one thing that would not cost money, or if it did cost it would be a small amount, would be a change in the governance structure and the implementation of a protected budget for women's and infants' health care. Take away the integrated model which has failed our women and children over the years.

There was a question about litigation and so forth. One of the problems with litigation in this country is that there are many locum and agency staff who staff our hospitals over weekends, bank holidays and so forth, and a disproportionate number of cases arise from that unsatisfactory arrangement. Mediation would be a way of dealing with some of the cases. What often happens is that the plaintiff's solicitor intervenes and that breaks off all possibility of contact with the treating clinicians where things have gone wrong. That is not helpful either for the grieving parent or couple or for the system. It is not healthy for society to have that type of adversarial arrangement in place.

The NTPF is a bad idea. That money should be invested in the health services immediately. What happens is that somebody who is on a waiting list for years is sent to a doctor they have never seen before for a pre-planned procedure that might not be appropriate. They get the procedure and never see the person again. It is grossly unsatisfactory. It is just bad clinical practice and it should be abandoned. That money should be put into the health service. If €5 million was given to Cork, it would be a start.