Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)

I welcome the announcement that there will be an inquiry into the care of spina bifida and scoliosis patients by CHI. It is good news and I give credit to Stephen and Gillian and the advocacy groups for achieving this. It is really important that it be a statutory public inquiry. Any inquiry without the power to compel people or papers will not get to the truth in relation to this. It is also important that the terms of reference are in agreement with the family of Harvey Sherratt and the advocacy groups. We have been here before where terms of reference were promised to be done in agreement with the campaign and then, at the last minute, the group found the terms of reference were not in sympathy with its views. In the case of the Women of Honour, a number of women who were part of that campaign did not agree with the terms of reference. Mention was previously made of the establishment of an office of inquiry. Given that these statutory inquiries can go on at length-----

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