Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Anybody who heard Mr. Halappanavar speaking or being interviewed on television last night could not fail to be moved by what must be the immensity of his grief, shock and trauma at what happened to his late wife. Anyone who has sat beside a loved one as that person dies would know that the kind of experience he has had must be tremendously difficult for him. That is why the thoughts of everybody in Ireland, from the first citizen to every other citizen, are with him and with his family and friends in Ireland and in India.

The HSE is responsible for appropriate inquiry when deaths occur in hospital which require investigation. With reference to records of the HSE to which Deputy Kelleher referred, the HSE, like any institution or hospital, is legally responsible for the proper maintenance of records. Mr. Halappanavar's legal adviser has expressed views in that regard but Deputy Kelleher, as a health spokesperson, will be aware that the HSE also has responsibilities in relation to records.

Let us cut to the net point. This is about the safety and care of women so that this episode or some tragic happening like this does not occur again. It is about the care, protection and safety of women when in hospital in relation to childbirth and pregnancy. It is the duty of the HSE to find out in the case of that hospital if there were unsafe practices and, if so, that those practices are amended or strengthened so that women going into that or any other hospital in this country can be assured their safety and care is the primary consideration and that structures are in place in that regard.

I welcome Deputy Kelleher's suggestion that this should not take place in a controversial adversarial mode. Given the grief of the late Mrs. Halappanavar's husband, which is so understandable to everybody, nobody wants to add any additional pressure or stress. It is important that he understands that is the view of everybody in this House.

The chairman of the inquiry, Professor Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, is an internationally renowned expert. He is entirely independent. The other members of the inquiry team are also nationally and internationally renowned. From the point of view of women's safety, it is important to establish what happened and that, if hospitals in Ireland need to move immediately to make appropriate provision in relation to securing the safety and well-being of women, it should be done. That is the most important issue as well as tending as best we can as a country to the grief of Savita Halappanavar's husband and family.

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