Mr. Niall Behan:

In parallel to the Garda investigation, the HSE carried out an audit. That audit looked at every one of the IFPA counselling protocols and at the protocols and policies of the other HSE-funded counselling services. We were asked to justify various procedures we had in place. The audit examined the evidence that we relied on for those protocols from a whole range of best practice models; the World Health Organization; the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; the International Planned Parenthood Federation; the Irish College of General Practitioners; the HSE itself; and the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. That is how the audit proceeded, by looking at how we actually did our work.

This was carried out by the quality and patient safety directorate within the HSE. The IFPA had no difficulty in co-operating with that process. It took up quite a lot of IFPA and HSE staff time. Following that process, four administrative recommendations were made to us. We had no difficulty in complying with them. Within days of receiving those recommendations, we changed our protocols in a manner that was satisfactory to the quality and patient safety directorate. This is the type of stuff that the IFPA has been putting up with since the 1970s. It does not deter us. I do not know why Senator Mullen does it. It does not really get him anywhere. We stand on the evidence and on medical best practice.