Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator again for raising this issue. It is an issue I had occasion to raise in the other House numerous times myself, particularly in respect of waiting lists for children. Thankfully significant progress seems to have been made on that front but I would be concerned to see any knock-on effect on the adult patient. I am not sure of the answer to the Senator's question. I will look into it for him in the Department of Health and I can get some answers for him.

On some of the specific issues the Senator raised, I would be concerned about a GP being told not to call back when they are advocating. They are the principal advocates, more so than the Senator or myself are as public representatives. A general practitioner should not be told not to call back. If the Senator would like to give me the details of that case I would be interested in pursuing it as part of my role in the Department of Health. If he sends those details to me I will follow up for him and find out why that happened. Hopefully I can get an assurance that it will not happen again.

I concur with the Senator in paying tribute to Mr. Kiely. I also dealt with him in my capacity as a public representative in the other House when I was trying to make a case for children with scoliosis. I always found him to be a very straight man, a very good man and somebody who was spoken of extremely highly by all of those who dealt with him. I wish him well.

I cannot answer specifically about the 70 patients the Senator referred to but I will find out whether they will remain in the public system under the new consultant or whether it is intended to move them to the private system. I will get that information sent over to the Senator.