Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

Will the Minister assure us that a legally binding guarantee will be given to patients as well as doctors to resolve the immediate problems of potential industrial action? The Minister has not answered my question about the MPS and the historic liabilities. Will she publish the secret deal made with the MPS? Does she not accept that the problem is the large claims in obstetrics? While it may include other consultants, the MDU raised this issue with the Department in the early 1990s.

It is regrettable that the Minister's words before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children have set us further from negotiation on this issue. Will she publish the secret deal and ensure that a legally binding guarantee is provided for the doctors? We understand the legal complexities but there is a central need to protect patient care.

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