Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Absolutely; 100%. Thank you very much, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. The Minister is very welcome to the House. We were all very saddened and shocked by what was revealed about Temple Street children's hospital. We are all human beings and members of families, and what happened in Temple Street is totally unacceptable and must be reproached.

The Joint Committee on Health last Thursday afternoon had significant engagement with Temple Street children's hospital and with the CEO of the hospital group. It was a very difficult experience for all of us. Nobody can justify what happened or in any way downplay the difficulties, challenges and upset caused to families. I know the Minister, like all of us, considers what happened reprehensible and that he is committed to getting to the bottom of what went wrong in terms of process and behaviour. How we deal with these things is upsetting and terrible. I do not blame anybody because I do not think anybody is to blame but the system is to blame. It has been reprehensible in terms of what happened to these children and how their lives have been affected going forward.

This motion is designed to amplify and to try to get some answers. The answers are probably not there but the review, I hope, will get answers. This motion proposed by me and my party is designed to try to achieve some answers or clarity.It is designed to give some hope to the parents and children who have been affected. It is an issue that is very difficult to discuss. It is very difficult for any of us to understand because it is children whose lives have been affected. I sincerely hope this motion will play a part in ensuring the State owns up and reflects on what has gone wrong. All we can do is hope that change will happen. The health system has let these children down. I get emotional when I think and talk about it. I know everybody else does as well because it is so difficult and challenging. What has happened is so awful.

The Minister is not to blame for this. I respectfully suggest that the HSE is not to blame for this, but there are people who need to be held accountable. Those people who are accountable need to be held accountable. We need answers and solutions. We need an improved process going forward so that something like this can never happen again. We should not be in the Seanad talking about these issues. We should not be here talking about children who were let down by the State not 20 or 30 years ago but two, three or five years ago. We need to ensure that the corporate governance and structures and checks and balances that are in place work. We cannot allow a situation like this ever to happen again. I want from the Minister a commitment that we will change what has happened in the past and change the processes going forward to ensure something like what we have experienced over the last number of weeks and months, and for those children the last number of years, will never happen again.