Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

It is entirely appropriate that Deputy Bertie Ahern, in his capacity as Taoiseach, should apologise to the women who were so seriously hurt, emotionally and physically, arising from these incidents.

I hope the Garda re-institutes its investigation. It is quite sinister for Judge Harding Clark to state that her premises was forcibly entered on three separate occasions during the course of this investigation.

In respect of the whistleblowers' legislation, it is not a situation where we must stumble from crisis to crisis and look at individual sectors retrospectively. There is merit in what the Labour Party proposed and despite the sector by sector approach, it deserves serious consideration.

Arising from the Neary case, the Government should look at the analysis by Judge Harding Clark of the failures of many of the bodies in the health service to be monitored and regulated properly, particularly where self-regulation of their own members occurs. I have commented previously that there is a strong case for a patient safety authority within the health area which would put patient safety at the centre of medical practice. There are such authorities in other areas of Irish life. Nobody has the legal authority, for instance, to close a public hospital, a private hospital, a public or private medical practice, a public or private dental practice, a private or public pharmacy practice or an alternative therapy clinic like the Carmody clinic. There is no authority that can close any of these. The Government should look again at the issue of a patient safety authority which would give vigorous oversight.

If the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism wishes to laugh at this, if that is his attitude to a serious and constructive proposal, then he should be ashamed of himself.

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