Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for giving of their time to come before the committee. If, as Dr Holohan said, with regard to the recent High Court ruling, that the Minister's request was overruled, does he believe the Bill is moot from the outset? Does strengthening the ability to compel open disclosure need to be considered? I note Dr. Holohan's comments on the empathy of professionals with patients and their families. How can this be measured? Would it require training? Dr. Holohan advised that the Civil Liability (Amendment) Act 2017 was too broad to ensure a mandatory approach that would capture all social care settings. Will the Bill achieve this objective? In light of the Scally report, does the Bill go far enough to ensure complete transparency? Dr. Holohan advised that the approach here will be similar to the duty of candour applied in the UK. Does the Bill equal that approach? It appears that issues relating to clinical audit remain unclear. Will the definition of a clinical audit be in place prior to the implementation of this legislation?