Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this motion on Navan hospital, but I am devastated and heartbroken for the people of Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and north Kerry. The manner in which they and staff have been treated by the management of UHL is shocking. Last Friday's HIQA report on UHL confirmed everything that we in the Rural Independent Group had highlighted in the Dáil about overcrowding on trolleys in corridors, but the management structure is where the failure lies. Why did HIQA take so long to come on board? The Minister carried out a surprise visit to the hospital, yet he found nothing wrong. HIQA responds to incidents that are reported by line managers, doctors and other professionals, but serious incidents at UHL were not reported in the national incident management system, NIMS. Why was this the case? This is where the problem lies. Incidents there were not reported by the line managers. That is why HIQA took so long to figure out what was wrong there. Under UHL's management structure, people were silenced and had to sign non-disclosure agreements to cover up the incidents. That is why HIQA was not involved for so long. Now, I need the Minister's help to ensure that the management of UHL steps down immediately and an investigation is put in place. Given that the management put so many people in harm's way, cases should be taken against its members through the courts if they are deemed negligent for what they have done to the people of Limerick, Clare, Tipperary and north Kerry.

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