Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That clarifies one aspect. Another is that this committee is not in a position to deal with this on its own. Due to situations like this one, the cervical smear tests and so on, compensation is running into the billions of euro at a time when we are trying to get investment to fill gaps in key areas of the health services and other services. This is a question that the Oireachtas needs to address. There are very few people who would disagree with the Deputy.

There will be an inquiry. I want to be careful about the Kerry situation because there will be legal proceedings and we do not want to do anything to jeopardise them, but on the face of it, what has happened looks scandalous.

In situations where there is clearly mismanagement or some other problem, no one is held to account and there is no penalty. Until we reach a point where there is some kind of penalty in such situations, they will keep happening one after the other. These situations have arisen during each of the three Dáileanna of which I have been a Member. There were inquiries and reports were issued. The people who are responsible can shrug their shoulders and say there is a report, but there is sometimes very little action taken on those reports. More important, no one is held to account. If that changed, people would be more careful to avoid giving rise to these situations.