John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would be grateful if the Leader could get clarification from the Minister for Health on the position of the funding for the Irish Patients Association, a representative group which has been involved in the agitation for patients' rights over the past several years. It has done such good work that it has been internationally recognised with membership on international patient advocacy groups. Apparently, a decision was made to de-fund the organisation. I am curious as to what the circumstances behind this were and would be grateful if it could be clarified for us.

Will the Leader get clarification from the Minister for Justice and Equality as to what investigation will take place with regard to potential conflict of interest issues that arise with the Magdalen laundries? State moneys were paid to hospitals which were then paid to the laundries for a service which did the work in terms that have been described as perhaps slave labour but certainly unpaid labour. The laundries in some cases were operated by the same religious orders with which the hospital contracts were held and to which Government funds were paid at break-even, subsistence levels or even at a loss. There seems to be a need for a greater level of accountancy scrutiny than took place in the McAleese report which to the best of my knowledge only had accounting evidence provided by the accountants who worked for the organisations. As it is likely there will be State-funded redress for the victims of the Magdalen atrocity, it is important those complex financial weaves are disentangled.