Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

It is a truly independent investigation. It is being chaired by somebody from outside the country and HIQA officials have been involved in discussing the terms of reference with HSE officials. I can give them to the Deputy because I do not want to read them out here. However, they have been published. The investigation will review the past five years and will examine any case outside that period where the circumstances may lead to the HSE learning from that experience. It is not correct to say that nothing happened in this case. The lawyers for the Redmond family wrote on 7 August and, within a week, the letter was acted on seriously by the HSE, the chief medical officer in my Department and all senior officials and a review took place within the hospital. That is a fact and that is the truth.

Last week, Professor Turner addressed this issue and I attended a press briefing he did. He made the point that, notwithstanding machinery and scans, there is nothing to substitute for clinical examination. The Deputy will know this being a doctor. We need a standardised approach in this area in the country. Professor Turner was appointed in May as the lead clinician in this area. He was appointed like many other experts in the State to do clinical care pathways. We have never had such a position and I am confident, as a result of his appointment in this field by the HSE before this issue ever came into the public domain, that we will have a standardised approach not only in the 19 public maternity hospitals, but also the private ones, and it is important that would happen..

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