Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I know I only have a few minutes but I thank the witnesses for the honesty with which they have approached the committee. I was watching a lot of the proceedings. The meeting has been very helpful. We will have a debate on health tonight, a meeting of the Committee on Health, on which I sit, tomorrow and a meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts, which I will chair and before which Mr. Breen will appear, on Thursday. Gradually, piece by piece, this jigsaw is coming together, and the information the witnesses have given has been helpful. As some of my colleagues, through questioning, have said, tort law is just not suitable when it comes to these cases. Mr. Breen has been very open about this, which is very useful. In a scenario in which the laboratories do not indemnify, it is almost like the State Claims Agency cannot dislodge itself. Is that fair to say? It is almost like, because of the statutory remit of the State Claims Agency and tort law, to which Mr. Breen has referred, the agency cannot dislodge itself from almost being a party to pursuing these very unfortunate people.