Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ó Laoghaire for those questions. I believe they are excellent and relevant questions. These are the issues that I expect will be covered in the statutory investigation that we are requesting of HIQA. The terms of reference are being drawn up. As we are having this debate, work is going on. I am going to bring those terms before the Attorney General to take a look at them. It is very important that we get those terms right and that the issues that the Deputy has identified are asked and answered. I also believe that it was extremely important to establish this, in addition to the commission of investigation or the tribunal of inquiry, because my understanding is that that is going to be focused on a particular case. The Deputy is also raising systemic questions about processes that have inflicted this extraordinary damage on this family. That would be my feeling and belief as well. Therefore, we needed another type of investigation, an independent, robust and external review to come up with the answers to the Deputy's questions.

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