Cathy Bennett (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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256. To ask the Minister for Health the manner in which a person may engage with her Department regarding a scoping exercise (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [68313/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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On Wednesday 26th November 2025, the Government agreed that a timebound scoping exercise be undertaken by an independent person in response to requests from Dignity4Patients on behalf of victims and survivors of Michael Shine.

The draft terms of reference for a scoping exercise will be finalised following engagement with Dignity4Patients and other relevant Government Departments. The Department of Health will consult closely with the Office of the Attorney General on progressing this exercise following this decision of Government.

The independent person will report to Government with their recommendations for an appropriate and bespoke response to the issues raised and the needs identified by Dignity4Patients on behalf of the victims and survivors of Michael Shine. The report may include recommendations on the most appropriate approach for engaging with survivors.

My Department and the independent person, once appointed, will engage with Dignity4Patients to finalise the terms of reference of the scoping exercise. This will include consideration of how best to engage with survivors as part of the scoping exercise. More information will be made available in the next short while when the terms of reference have been finalised. In the meantime, survivors may wish to consider contacting the Dignity4Patients victim support group at: www.dignity4patients.org/.