Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Regarding the issue of medical negligence and so on, I will be very brief but I just wish to make the point that we have taken a number of steps as an Oireachtas and a Government in recent years, the Mediation Act being one such example, whereby there are now tools at the disposal of the State that do not involve bringing a woman, or indeed any other person, who has been through an issue of medical negligence or upset or trauma in our health service to the courts. I know the State Claims Agency has spoken about this already, but it is a tool at its disposal. Whether we need, as we have, a Personal Injuries Assessment Board, a medical injuries assessment board or something similar to move such cases completely out of the courts is something that warrants significant consideration as well. We need to find a system that is less adversarial in getting to the bottom of these things. Open disclosure helps, absolutely, but even after open disclosure there needs to be a mechanism to try to provide people with supports or financial compensation.