Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The region with the highest trolley numbers consistently, every week and every day, is the mid-west. Whatever investment has gone in, it is still not enough.

I thank the Minister and his officials for coming in. I was not present at the start of the meeting because I was at an event in Farmleigh to celebrate visually impaired Paralympians that was arranged a number of weeks ago, but I have followed it online and need to put on the record that, at every opportunity that presented, I have raised UHL at this committee. There has been some public discourse to the contrary and I want to nail that. I think the Chair would confirm that as well.

I agree with Deputies Cullinane and Crowe that the new CEO, or whatever his title is, should have been here. Just because he was not invited, it is not a good enough reason not to be here. I think the Minister accepts that, because I have been following the meeting more or less since the beginning.

I also agree with my colleague, Deputy Durkan. He said public perception and confidence are important. We have a duty to do our very best to elicit public confidence. It can be difficult and challenging. It is important to acknowledge, as the Minister did, the work carried out by the clinicians and non-clinical staff throughout UHL and the group.

They do phenomenal work. I also want to put on record the great work done by the patient advocacy liaison service, PALS, in UHL. I have got phenomenal feedback on that good work. However, what I want to concentrate on today is the HIQA report. My first question for the Minister is simple. What learnings did he glean from Mr. Justice Clarke's report that then influenced the terms of reference? The terms of reference were delayed until after Mr. Justice Clarke reported. How did that report influence the terms of reference? Did it influence them at all?