Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 36: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the reason for the delay in presenting the report on the death of a person (details supplied) at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4164/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 36 and 37 together.

The report of the panel reviewing the events surrounding the death of Róisín Ruddle was published on my Department's website earlier today.

First, I wish to express my sympathy to Róisín's parents and to her extended family. They have been through extremely difficult times in the past and the publication of the report of the panel reviewing the events surrounding Róisín's death will no doubt recall for them all the trauma of those times.

The review panel's report found that if Róisín's operation had gone ahead as planned on 30 June 2003, the likelihood of her survival would have been greater, and that the fundamental reason behind the deferral of Róisín's surgery was the inability of Our Lady's Hospital to recruit-retain sufficient experienced nursing staff to support the available ICU beds.

I recently met with the hospital's chief executive and director of nursing. They assured me that key recommendations in the report have already been acted upon, including the appointment of a full-time nurse manager to manage nursing recruitment and retention; the appointment of a clinical bed manager; and the establishment of links with similar institutions outside the country to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience. They also assured me that the remaining recommendations will receive the hospital's urgent attention.

I have full confidence in the ability of the hospital management and its clinicians to address the issues raised in the report and to work to deliver on the recommendations applicable to the hospital's internal organisation.

One of the report's recommendations is that the overall training period required to become a fully qualified children's ICU nurse be re-examined. Every avenue to make children's nursing an attractive option must be explored. I recently received the report of the expert group on midwifery and children's nursing education. One of its recommendations, the introduction of a direct entry undergraduate programme for combined children's-general nursing lasting four and a half years, must be implemented. We also need to reduce the length of the existing post-registration programme for qualification as a children's nurse. These measures will reduce the time taken to qualify as a children's nurse and should increase the numbers coming through the system.

I will shortly be announcing how the report of the expert group on midwifery and children's nursing education can best be implemented. I welcome the fact that the hospital has already established links with similar institutions outside the country and I encourage it to explore this option for courses in specialist and expert practice.