Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children

HIQA Investigation into Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise (Resumed): Health Service Executive

11:30 am

Dr. Philip Crowley:

Yes, that is exactly how that sounds. A lack of courtesy. Investigators might not have been identifiable in the local service, but they should be now, having trained 800 people. I hope that the situation will improve, that others do not have the same experience, that people get answers more quickly and that we implement findings more quickly.

Deputy Kelleher made a suggestion about the suspension of internal investigations where a legal process was under way. It is fair to say that there was a time when some legal practitioners tried to deter local investigations when cases were being taken. We raised this matter with the State Claims Agency, which agreed that it should not be the case. I would hate to think that, at this stage, any internal investigation would be suspended because there was a legal action. We have an agreement that this will not be the case, and it is not the case.

Those are the issues mainly relating to me that have been raised so far.