Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am being specific and parochial, but this has major implications for learning. If there is a notifiable disease in Galway, as I have been informed, and staff contract it, and if I then ask a question about it, I will be told that a review will be carried out in the future. I have read the opening statements from Mr. Connaghan and the Department. When an event happens, it should be a case of stopping immediately, protecting people, learning from it and carrying out a review. However, the answer to me is that a review will be carried out. We are now in November, but the event in question happened months ago.

I asked what reviews generally have been carried out in Galway. I made the question simple by only referring to external reviews. What was the cost of those reviews and who carried them out over the past ten years? Extraordinarily, I was told that the HSE did not have that information. Following a search for the information I had requested, I was told that the HSE did not have a system to record the number and cost of all external reviews or investigations of patient care at University Hospital Galway. I do not expect Mr. Connaghan to have an answer for me now. I am just drawing his attention to this. There is no database of reviews or their cost even though the matters in question lead to litigation. Regarding my question on a notifiable disease, here we are about to have another review. If Mr. Connaghan could comment, I would appreciate it. If he does not have the details, that is fine.