James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I think it is important to set the tone.

They remained until the cohort was reached and until it was decided by the HSE — the Minister's invention which she created by legislation and whose ethos has evolved under her — that it was then the time to deal with these people. It seemed to be a case of "It is all right, Mrs. Reilly, you might have a breast lump and in fact, you might have cancer, but we will deal with you when we are good and ready. When we feel we have enough people to warrant taking action, we will take action". This is the lowest point which the health service has reached for a long time.

The Minister promised this House on 7 November 2007 that the Ann O'Doherty report would be available by the end of November, yet we are now at the end of January 2008 and we are being promised the report again. The reason given for the non-production of this report is that natural justice must be allowed for and we all agree this should be so. However, the specific reason I was given was that an individual is not in the country having returned to South Africa and must be given sight of the report before a conclusion can be reached. Is the Minister telling the House and the people of Ireland that if this person does not return to Ireland for two years, we will not have a report for two years? This is not the case because it is absolute, errant nonsense. Fax machines and e-mail mean that people can be contacted within 24 hours anywhere in the world. A person's response can be received and his or her rights can be preserved.

Will the Minister ensure that this and the other reports come to hand by the end of next month? Can she make a commitment that can be kept this time, rather than all the false promises given on this and so many other matters which will be referred to in later questions?

I have one other supplementary question. I ask the Minister to ensure the independence of the Portlaoise second investigation on how the matter was handled and whose terms of reference are broad. She has asked for the good services of Mr. Fitzgerald but has asked him to report to and work with three members of the board of the HSE. This does not inspire confidence in the people who were so badly let down by the very same HSE which the Minister is now asking to investigate itself. On behalf of the people of Ireland and the women who have suffered so badly at the hands of the State's health service, I ask her to assure them that Mr. Fitzgerald can act in an independent fashion, select his own team to help him complete his report and report directly to her so that she can report to the House.

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