Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In relation to particular issues arising in the Department, why does it take so long? Surely there must be some co-ordination where there is a risk to the Department and to the HSE? The decision-making process seems to drag on ad infinitumand it ends up with the State having to pay out substantial sums of money rather than actually dealing with the issue. It is my understanding the Department of Health was given an opinion on this from a senior counsel on behalf of the Eastern Health Board long before 2004 and it failed to act on it.