Séamus Kirk (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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635. To ask the Minister for Health the funding that has been provided to Dignity 4 Patients in 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; if he or the Department have had any meetings with the group in 2013; if he will support the inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse of patients in a hospital (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54384/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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On-going funding for any service is a matter for the HSE and I understand that the HSE responded directly to the Deputy concerning funding allocations to Dignity 4 Patientson 13 December 2013 with the following information:

I can confirm that neither myself nor my officials have met with Dignity 4 Patients in 2013. However, I have been informed that the HSE met its Director in May 2013.

In October 2009, the then Minister for Health and Children announced the establishment of an independent non statutory review, the “Drogheda Review”, to advise her on whether any additional information or insights were likely to be achieved from a further full investigation into the activities of a certain doctor in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in the period 1964 to 1995. This review was carried out by retired High Court Judge T.C. Smyth.

Judge Smyth submitted his report to the Minister in September 2010. The report recommended that a further investigation should notbe held and that, in order to avoid prejudicing any civil or criminal cases, the report should not be published. A short summary of the report was, however, prepared and supplied to the patient support groups in January 2011.

I understand that the allegations referred to by the Deputy are the subject of on-going legal proceedings.