James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

HIQA is responsible for standards and inspections but that does not remove the obligation on the Health Service Executive, HSE, to maintain its standards and continue its own in-house inspections. That is currently the case. The position is clear from the reduction in antibiotic consumption since 2008 and also the continuing drop in cases of MRSA from 592 in 2006 to 536 in 2007, and to 439 in 2008. In 2009, there were only 355 and last year there were 305. A 48% increase is extremely encouraging but we will not stop at that. HIQA will reinspect, as it sees fit, when it sees the need arising but as an independent regulator we must accept what it is and is not happy with, and we should not attempt to interfere in that.

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