Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

There was correspondence of 13 July to all other general managers across the HSE. I know most of them myself but what did they do? Did this come to a head because they took the lead and demanded that it be sorted? Will Mr. Connaghan get back to this committee with the information on what they did? Will he do what Limerick did and send us on the chronology and documentation so that we can see what all of them did?

There is documentation in the booklet for clinicians telling them that, in cases where a woman has died, the next steps should be to ensure the result is recorded in the woman's notes. We also see this in the draft letters. The Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 came to mind when I read this and a failure to provide information such as this needs to be investigated under that Act. I say this as softly as I can. The Act refers to delaying or not providing information to the next of kin. Stephen, from one of the affected families, sat here yesterday and he was not provided with that information. We all know that this is a disgrace. Open disclosure? My backside.

We are not being provided with all the information on a range of questions. I encourage people watching this to consider the Protected Disclosures Act and to come forward with information to us, or perhaps the Chair of the health committee. There has to be a protected process, such as the Committee of Public Accounts or the health committee, in which this information is brought forward because people in the HSE are still in their positions but have skin in the game. Stephen asked yesterday that they be stood aside and I suggest it should be done without prejudice, because some people may not want to come forward as things stand.

I have been on this theme with Mr. Connaghan for about two days and I pray and hope he is listening to me. I do not want the whole Scally process to be, for want of a better word, corrupted by the fact that these people are not coming forward while people who are part of the issue remain in position.