Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In regard to the White Paper on universal health insurance, the Minister for Health has undertaken to introduce universal health insurance at some point in the future. When will the commission established to look into this issue produce its report? The Minister has stated a report was imminent, but we are still awaiting it.

On a more urgent and serious issue, when will the patient safety authority be established on a statutory basis in view of the letter from emergency consultants to the HSE and HIQA setting out their concerns about patient safety in emergency departments? I remind the Taoiseach that it was only a couple of months ago when the CEOs of major hospitals expressed concern that hospitals were becoming unsafe because of cutbacks and the overwhelming number of cases presenting to emergency departments. The patient safety authority should oversees these services to ensure people can feel safe and confident when they go to a hospital, as opposed to consultants having to write letters to ask for resources.

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