David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We will get to the expert panel report next week. Mr. Quinn is right that it is an important report as well. I wish to refer to the role of HIQA with regard to individual cases. I am not going to discuss any individual cases but some horrific ones were brought to my attention, including the one that was raised earlier. I had raised it as well. There are many other individual harrowing cases, although they are a minority.

The vast majority of people get high-quality care in these settings. However, where there are failures and abuses, they must be properly examined. What is HIQA's power with regard to examining individual cases? It was said earlier in respect of a case that was mentioned that there was an inspection. Can HIQA do more than inspection? For example, the word "inquiry" was mentioned. Does the authority have the power in the first instance even to conduct an inquiry in respect of an individual case?