Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Regarding that matter, the Minister of State has indicated that the HSE and HIQA have agreed that progressive non-statutory implementation of the HIQA standards will now commence and will become the benchmark against which the HSE assess both its own directly operated facilities and other facilities funded by the HSE. Challenges exist to moving immediately to full statutory implementation of these standards, including the availability of resources and including regulation and inspection. We will continue to work progressively to bring these standards into play on a non-statutory basis.

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