Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

The point has been clearly made. I hope the Minister will take on board some of the facts we have highlighted. HIQA is not a patient safety protection agency. Its remit is far too broad and it will not work. The Minister must separate out the social services inspectorate and combine it with the mental health commission to set up a proper patient safety authority. Perhaps the Minister should not dismiss what the Fine Gael and Labour parties are doing given that the WHO thinks it is correct. Given that she has more or less lifted our ideas anyway to set up her next commission perhaps she understands that what we are doing is the correct approach. The Minister should be man enough to follow through on what we are talking about.

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