Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last week, the Minister for Health told the Select Sub-Committee on Health that he plans to introduce a new law to oblige medical professionals to admit when they have made mistakes. He was critical of those professionals who have failed to "adhere to the duty of candour". This legislation would be very significant given the history of symphysiotomy, the anti-D blood scandal, the victims of Michael Neary and other cases. When does the Taoiseach envisage that this legislation will be published? Will it include private hospitals as well as public hospitals?

I have just been looking at the legislative programme. In the programme for Government, the Labour Party and Fine Gael promised to reform the way the Dáil works, to make it fit for purpose and to legislate more effectively. There appears to be a logjam in the processing of legislation through the Department of Justice and Equality. The Taoiseach will recall that I raised the issue of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill 2013 with him yesterday. The aim of this crucially important legislation, which was published in July 2013 but has yet to be discussed on Committee Stage, is to protect citizens with mental disabilities. I could also have mentioned the Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011, which was published in October 2011.

It was last seen in July of last year and its Report and Final Stages have not been completed. The Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill was published in May 2012 and was last seen in November 2013. The general draft of the mediation Bill was published in 2012. It was listed for publication in late 2013. The then Minister, Deputy Shatter, stated that it would be published in 2014, but we still await it. The Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) (Amendment) Bill was published in August 2014 and was last seen in November, a month where there seems to be a Bermuda Triangle. The Bill has yet to pass Committee Stage in the Seanad. Is this not evidence of the Government failing to manage its legislative programme efficiently? Does the Taoiseach realistically expect these Bills to pass all Stages and become law before the general election?

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