Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not want to be difficult but I want to ask a couple of extremely important questions. I note that some of the political commentary about this review is very serious and the expectations that have been created are extremely worrying and serious. The Minister needs to deal with that.

In March 2023, a special team was sent down to UHL. It made recommendations which, we were told, would significantly improve the situation. On 24 March last, in response to questioning from me at the Joint Committee on Health, Dr. Henry stated that the medical advice was even more pertinent now that upgrading the other hospitals would be inappropriate. On 4 April, the Minister did a doorstep in Limerick where he announced further actions that were to be taken to improve the situation in UHL. On 2 May, in response to Deputy Cullinane in the Dáil, the Minister stated that the six regional executive officers had been asked to look at capacity. One week later, he announced a HIQA review. What I want to know is whether the Minister discussed this with Dr. Henry and others in the HSE and, if so, whether they agreed with the request that HIQA do a review.

With the greatest of respect to Mr. Justice Clarke, who is a marvellous person, he is not a medical person. Why does the Minister feel the need to wait for his report on a very specific case before putting the terms of reference together? It is a delaying tactic. If HIQA is carrying out a review, I could write the terms of reference myself. I do not understand why the Minister is waiting for Mr. Justice Clarke's report to deal with that.

When will this report be on the Minister's desk? We need a date, not a week or month, but a specific date on which this report will be on his desk. It is not good enough to tell people in the mid-west that, if not this Government, the next Government will make a decision on this. It has to be this Government. I have defended in the media for a long time the case for not opening a 24-hour ED in Ennis hospital or Nenagh hospital because of safety issues. I hope the Minister will reply to those questions now.