Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

May I clarify something? To my knowledge, the Owenacurra centre has approached the Joint Committee on Health and the Committee of Public Accounts. The centre has exhausted most avenues. It has called for meetings with the HSE. It has exhausted the avenues open to it which is why I feel that this committee dealing with it is so important. In fairness to the health committee, it has said that it will facilitate a visit to the centre so that members can see it with their own eyes and compare what they see with the reports from the HSE.

Despite what people may think, it has not been disjointed. There has been good dialogue between some of the worried families, the HSE and the health committee. As I said, some of the petitioners want the Committee of Public Accounts to get involved because public moneys are involved here. The investment of public money in the centre is the crux of the issue. When committee members hear the petitioners' statement on this, it will totally clarify the situation that patients and their families are in. It will also give members a clear picture of the impact that the choices being offered by the HSE will have on patients. Then when we hear the HSE's side of the story, that will give clarity in terms of the whole picture. Questions may remain at the end of that process but it will be up to the committee as a whole to decide on that. I would go back to the statement I made at the outset, which is that we have to hear both sides of the story and then decide where the truth lies.

Deputies Devlin and Higgins have asked why the health committee is not dealing with this. That committee has facilitated those involved to the best of its ability but it is swamped with work because of the current situation with regard to health, Covid-19 and so on. We are in a very privileged position at this committee in that we can afford these people the opportunity to air their views. Where there is an action, there is always a reaction and we can also give the HSE an opportunity to tell its side of the story. Then it will be up to us to decide.