Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Kenny raised two issues. On the first one, I join him, as I am sure does everyone in the House, in expressing our deepest sympathy to the family of Frances Sheridan who died in the past few days. To respect the privacy of the family, I will not go into the specific circumstances of the case at this time. I understand that the State Pathologist has conducted a post-mortem, the results of which are awaited. My colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, met Mr. Paul Robinson, the chief executive officer of the health board. He was advised by the CEO that the board has established a group to undertake an urgent review of all the factors involved in the death of the child. The scope of the review will cover the period of the child's first contact with Cavan General Hospital on 7 January and her untimely death on 1 February. The membership of the group is Gerry Clerkin of the Cavan-Monaghan Hospital Group and Conor Egleston, a consultant in emergency medicine in Drogheda Hospital.

The second matter raised by Deputy Kenny concerned issues which have arisen in recent months in, as he described it, a personal dispute. A committee of inquiry has been appointed to examine complaints regarding two consultant surgeons in Cavan General Hospital. The two consultants concerned have been suspended without pay since last August, but both have been entitled to apply for ex gratia payments to allay any hardship they may experience.

The recently established committee is the third such committee to be appointed by the Minister for Health and Children on this matter. The reason is that the first committee, established immediately after the suspensions, had to be disbanded due to the withdrawal of the appointed chairman and one of the consultant representatives. The second committee, appointed by the Minister the following month, was disbanded before Christmas due to a perceived conflict of interest of one of the consultant representatives and the subsequent refusal of the second consultant member of the IHCA to continue due, among other reasons, to non-payment of fees for committee work.

The intervening period has been taken up with an extensive exercise to identify consultants without any potential conflict of interest who are willing to represent their colleagues on the committee of inquiry. The IHCA has indicated an unwillingness to submit a list of names to perform this work due to non-payment of fees for its members, despite the Department's willingness to provide locum cover for committee members, to indemnify them against any legal action arising from committee work and to pay travel and subsistence to the consultants concerned. I understand, and the Minister is confident, that the new committee, established with the assistance of retired consultants, will allow the matter to be resolved without any further delay.

As regards other matters in the health board area in question, the Minister has reported to the House extensively on his and the board's responsibilities and ongoing work in that area.

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