Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I still meet his former patients. The man did much good, the story is not all bad but there is no doubt that is not the way to decide on somebody's competence to practise. We pay a heavy price for not having competence assurance. I do not wish to speak about inquiries except to say that in the past we never inquired. People knew for 25 years that something was wrong in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda but nobody did anything about it. The director of nursing in Portlaoise last August drew the attention of the HSE to what was happening there. The HSE acted urgently and immediately when it was brought to its attention.