Dáil debates

Thursday, 2 March 2006

 

Departmental Investigations.

3:00 pm

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I hope both Deputy McManus and I will have time for a brief supplementary question later. Can the Tánaiste indicate if legislation will be required to establish the redress scheme she envisages so the women victims of Mr. Neary and others can win redress? I stress, as I did yesterday, the phrase "and others". It was not only Dr. Neary who was involved. What is the timescale for the commencement of processing the cases through the redress scheme? How soon does she expect such a process can get under way?

The Tánaiste stated that the Harding Clark report confirms the appropriateness of the actions being taken with regard to reform of the current consultant contract and changes in management systems within the hospitals. I asked the Taoiseach questions about this yesterday but he did not reply to them. The reform of the consultants' contract has been overdue since 2002. Judge Maureen Harding Clark made particular reference to this. What is the position with the renegotiation of the common contract? Has it reached a brick wall? What is the Minister's intent in that regard?

I hope the Tánaiste studies all the recommendations of Judge Maureen Harding Clark. The judge stated in the report that consultants at the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital currently spend too much of their time on private patients. Has the Tánaiste noted that point and does she accept that it is an ongoing problem, as Judge Maureen Harding Clark does, and is directly related to my earlier question about the consultants' contract? Has the Tánaiste noted from the report that while it is acknowledged that much has changed for the better at the Lourdes hospital, Judge Harding Clark also states that there are still worrying things ongoing at the hospital? Has she noted the judge's criticism of the risk management among some of the consultants and the judge's statement that no elective major gynaecology operations are carried out as there are no dedicated gynaecology beds available for elective operations?

What will the Tánaiste do about the failure to designate gynaecology beds to cater for elective surgical procedures at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, the only site with such a specialist team in the north-east region?

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