Niall Collins (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)

I favour the option set out by the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews, to establish the independent inquiry within the HSE chaired by Ms Norah Gibbons. It is to report within six months and the report will be published. It is a four person inquiry team, with two external and two highly qualified internal persons. With that in mind, the internal inquiry of the HSE will not have any of the difficulties that a tribunal of inquiry or, indeed, a commission of inquiry may have, and that is an important point. It may help to get to the truth in a more timely fashion.

I welcome Ms Gibbons's statement earlier today. It is worth pointing out what she emphasised, that the terms of reference are sufficiently robust in order to conduct a broad and detailed investigation. Should they prove restrictive to the investigation, she said she will review the terms of reference in order to ensure that all necessary aspects of the case are covered and investigated thoroughly.

Ms Gibbons also emphasised the composition of the investigation team provides expertise in child welfare and protection issues and provides the knowledge and experience to navigate a complex system; should supplementary skills be required additional members can be co-opted to the inquiry team. In addition, she stressed that independent legal advice will be available throughout the investigation.

There have been many debates in this House on the HSE and its service delivery. Everything in the HSE should not be painted negatively. We must remember that over the years, during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the health services in this country suffered from a funding deficit, a human resource deficit, an infrastructure deficit and even a strategic deficit. All those areas are being addressed in a catch-up fashion, and rightly so.

There are many improvements which have been delivered within the health service and never get spoken about or highlighted. There are many fine people working within the health service who are doing a good job and often get painted with a generalisation that everything is wrong with and bad in the health service. I want to acknowledge, from my point of view, that there are many fine people delivering that service.

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