Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

I move amendment No. 1:

In page 3, after line 32, to insert the following:

"(i) any such occurrence of development that is likely to give rise to a significant risk to public health,".

Any such occurrence of development that is likely to give rise to a significant risk to public health should be included in the information required of the HSE. It should be the duty of the HSE to furnish such information.

Most of us have spoken specifically about the context of the review group looking into the deaths of children in care but the scope of this legislation is much broader. It relates to any inquiry being carried out and the duties of the HSE to supply information to whoever is carrying out the inquiry and, indeed, to the Minister, so it goes beyond inquiries.

There are certain instances where the Minister will request information or where it is the opinion of the executive that the Minister would consider certain information significant to the performance of his or her functions. We should also include this other category of information which is likely to cause significant risk to public health.

In some ways, it is self-explanatory. I would have thought it would have been something with which the Minister would not have had a problem in so far as it would be in the public interest that the HSE would inform the Minister of any information which is likely to give rise to a risk to public health.

See this speech in context