Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry for being late. Some of my questions may have been answered already.

Some providers have brought to my attention that HIQA imposes almost impossible demands upon them to provide standards of service. They themselves are struggling to provide best service but are chronically underfunded. Does HIQA take underfunding and lack of resources into account in making its assessments because some service providers have to either suspend services or reduce their capacity to provide a service because of the standards that are imposed on them, not in terms of the quality of care but in terms of the physical structure in which they operate? Does HIQA have data on the financial costs that its standards impose on different services? Finally, how consistent is the application of HIQA standards across different geographic areas?