Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

Regarding the Fitzgerald report, I said in the committee last week and repeat now, as I repeated earlier, that I asked the chairman of the HSE in a letter I sent him and in discussions I have had with him to make sure we act on foot of the findings, not just in regard to the specifics around Portlaoise but to determine its implications for the wider management governance and communications issues. I accept that the patients should have been dealt with directly but my job is to implement policy. The job of my Department is to support the Minister and the Government in the implementation of policy, bring in legislation, appoint the board and hold the board accountable. When problems are identified it is my job to make sure that the board of the HSE implements the changes necessary to minimise errors of this kind in the future, in terms of the way services are organised, and to ensure that when errors or incidents occur, patients are handled in accordance with protocols patients have been involved in drafting. I want to see patient organisations involved, and they are enthusiastically involved.

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