Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I concur 100%. I accept the Chairman's assertion that modalities need to be found so that people can find justice and the answers required.

I will follow up on what some of my colleagues have already said. I thank HIQA for being here. Based on what has been said earlier, there is a difficulty around the framework in which HIQA must operate. The questions I have would be specific to when issues were brought to HIQA in relation to problems in nursing homes as regards the escalation; what protocols HIQA had to follow in that regard; whether those protocols have been updated; and the conversation earlier about when is it an inspection and when is it an inquiry-investigation. Based on what I heard earlier in the back and forth between HIQA and other Deputies, I cannot but take that what they are looking for is what they have asked of Government which is a greater level of power and a framework in which they can operate. That relates to dealing with issues or institutional cases when they arise and then, if we deal with tragic situations, that we have the facility to investigate, find out what went wrong, and make sure that we can give the answers to the families that require it and solve the problems.