Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputies for raising these issues on the Adjournment. I take this opportunity to offer my deepest sympathy to the Sheridan family on the death of Frances. I do not propose to comment on the specific circumstances of the case in respect of the family's privacy at this time. In addition, the State pathologist has conducted a post mortem, the results of which are awaited.

This afternoon, I met the chief executive officer of the North Eastern Health Board and was briefed on the board's response. An expert group has been established by the chief executive officer to undertake a review of all factors involved in the case. The review will cover the period from Frances' first contact with Cavan General Hospital on 7 January 2004 to her untimely death on 1 February 2004. The expert group is comprised of senior clinical, nursing and risk management personnel. The chief executive officer has assured me that the review will be completed as a matter of urgency.

With regard to the suspension of two consultant surgeons in Cavan General Hospital, I have recently appointed a committee of inquiry to examine matters of complaint against the two consultants. The two consultants concerned have been suspended without pay since August 2003. The recently established committee is the third such one to be appointed by me in this matter. The legislation details and provides the framework by which these committees are established. Once the health board has notified the Minister of suspension, he is obliged to establish a committee of inquiry. The Minister can be subsequently involved as the person to whom the person suspended can appeal the outcome of the inquiry. There is a difficulty as to what I can say about the inquiry and events surrounding it, due to this quasi-judicial role.

The first inquiry established in September 2003 had to be disbanded due to the withdrawal of both the appointed chairman and one of the consultant representatives. A second committee was appointed by me in October 2003. This had to be disbanded in December 2003 due to a perceived conflict of interest of one of the consultant representatives and the subsequent refusal of the second Irish Hospital Consultants Association nominated member to continue.

The intervening period has been taken up with an extensive exercise to identify consultants, without any potential conflict of interest, who would be willing to serve on the committee of inquiry. The Irish Hospital Consultants Association has been unable to submit a list of names to perform this work due to the non-payment of fees to its members, despite the Department's willingness to provide locum cover for both committee members, to indemnify all committee members against legal action arising from committee work and to pay travel and subsistence to the consultants concerned.

I am confident that the new committee, established with the assistance of retired consultants, will allow the matter to be progressed without further delay. My Department looks forward to receiving the recommendations of the committee in due course.

Every effort will be made to establish, as a matter of priority, the circumstances which gave rise to the tragic death of Frances Sheridan. I anticipate that the work of the expert group will be completed as a matter of urgency and will be the subject of early discussions with the chief executive officer of the board.

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