Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Leader is aware, Fianna Fáil has tabled a Corporate Manslaughter Bill, which was proposed by the Law Reform Commission. It is important legislation which is long overdue, made all the more relevant by issues involving University Hospital Limerick, where a whistleblower has highlighted the deaths of 30 people due to serious mismanagement in the hospital. She has made a protected disclosure.

Over recent years she has highlighted the issue to senior management in the hospital in Limerick and a report was made to HIQA. Eight deaths which occurred there in the first half of this year are attributed to the hospital's lack of proper infection control. Apparently superbugs are rampant there, and senior management is not doing its job. Tragically people are dying as a result of this.

Despite making a protected disclosure and contacting the Minister for Health, he has refused to meet her. She is asking for an inquiry into the 29 people who died between 2012 and 2014 because of failings in senior management in University Hospital Limerick. Other hospitals are refusing to disclose information on deaths that have occurred which may be attributed to mismanagement and the fact proper protection of patients is not taking place and there are not proper protocols. The protocols which are in place are not followed with regard to infection control.

Will the Leader find out from the Minister for Health what is being done? His refusal to meet the whistleblower is unacceptable. She has put her career on the line and is now being victimised by senior management. She is no longer able to go to work because, unfortunately, the culture in this country is that instead of applauding people who come forward to highlight the fact people are dying as a result of senior management's failing, they end up being victimised.We have seen that in the case of gardaí and now we are seeing it in the case of somebody who is trying to save other people's lives by ensuring that the procedures are followed, and if they are not good enough then better needs to be done.

If the Corporate Manslaughter Bill were in place and those senior managers were found to have failed in their duty, they could be liable to prison sentences. Instead of spending their time, effort and energy trying to victimise and silence a whistleblower for their own failings, they would have their minds focused on the fact because if they were unable or unwilling to do their jobs they could end up going to jail as a result.

I ask the Leader to find out what is happening in University Hospital Limerick. I ask him to use his good offices to arrange a meeting between the Minister for Health and the whistleblower so that more lives will not be lost instead in addition to the 30 who have already died as a result of suspected failings in senior management.