Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am very open to an external review telling me whatever it finds. What I can tell the Deputy right now is that this is the first time I have heard this. This is the first time I have heard about an FOI. The clear advice I have been given is that there were serious patient safety incidents, the protocols were followed, the patients and the families were engaged with and I was informed. To Deputy Cullinane’s earlier point, arguably, I was informed in too tardy a manner on the July one. In the September-October-November period, two things happened. There were patient safety incidents which were being looked at and the spina bifida multidisciplinary team in Temple Street raised concerns. On the back of that, two reports were commissioned, an internal CHI report and an external Boston Children's Hospital Group report. I am very open to any external reviewer telling me that FOIs played a role. The Deputy’s question is the first time I have been aware there were any such FOIs.

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