Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

In recent days a national scandal has been unfolding in relation to the most medically compromised children in this country. It relates to wholly adequate health services provided for them, and in the case of some of those children really serious adverse outcomes including the tragic death of one child. There is no transparency about what is going on here. All we have got is obfuscation. We have heard little or nothing from the Minister for Health. The Minister for Health needs to return to this country urgently. I ask that he presents himself here tomorrow to make statements on this scandal and to answer questions from Members of this House because we cannot get answers to questions from anywhere else.

The other thing I am asking for is the publication of the two reviews that have already been completed for several months now, which outline scores of recommendations about what needs to be done.

One of those reviews - the external review - was in fact requested by the consultant at the centre of this scandal. I ask that those two reviews be published today. We cannot have this whole issue being swept under the carpet and no transparency whatsoever about it. The Minister is accountable for this, but the Government is responsible for answering questions and making those two reviews available. Publish them now.

See this speech in context