Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

My first question is on Dr. Scally. His first report was in September. Where is his second report? I am becoming very concerned about this. Something does not add up, as I have been saying now for months. Let us go back to the meeting of the health committee of 13 February 2019. At that meeting, I asked where the second report was. We know there are issues around outsourcing and I am very confident that there are further issues in that regard which were not found in the first report. We know also that there are huge issues in relation to quality assurance. The second phase of reporting on the part of Dr. Scally relates to contracts and quality assurance and all related issues. At the meeting of 13 February, I pressed the Secretary General of the Department of Health on when the second report would be forthcoming. I spoke to him about the issues I have just set out. He told me he believed the report was due imminently. I asked how soon and whether it would be that week and he replied that it potentially would be that week. That was 13 February. What is after happening? Is there a misunderstanding between the Department of Health and Dr. Scally regarding the terms of reference for phase 2? In fairness to the Minister, he published the terms of reference. I am not trying to catch him out. I just want to know what has happened. From September last year or the exact point at which the terms of reference were agreed and sent to him, Dr. Scally has been working on the terms of reference as written by the Department. I want an assurance this minute that this is the case and that his work did not change as a consequence of what happened at the health committee meeting of 13 February 2019. I cannot understand how the Secretary General could say the report was imminent and potentially due that week when it is still not done in the second week of May. What is going on? That is the first question.

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