Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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471. To ask the Minister for Health if he will respond to representations made to his Department by a former patient of the hospital in Tallaght. [48182/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The representations referred to by the Deputy have been responded to by my Department. The representations referred to the conduct of the Medical Council in dealing with a particular individual's complaint. Under the Medical Practitioners Act, 2007, the Medical Council is the statutory body charged with the regulation of the medical profession in this State. I, as Minister for Health, have no role in relation to such matters and I am specifically precluded under the Act from giving policy direction to the Medical Council in relation to the performance of its functions in this area.

With regard to specific complaints in relation to experiences of individuals in our hospitals, there is a formal complaints policy, entitled “Your Service Your Say”, details of which are on the HSE website, at . In accordance with this procedure, a complaint must be made in the first instance to the hospital in which the incident causing the complaint occurred. If an individual is not satisfied with the response from the hospital, a review can be sought from the HSE Director of Advocacy at Oak House, Millennium Park, Naas, Co Kildare, tel 1890 424 555, or from the Office of the Ombudsman, 18 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2, tel 1890 223 030, email

I have asked the HSE to examine the specific queries raised in relation to Tallaght Hospital and to reply to you directly.