HSE announces Savita inquiry team replacements

The Health Service Executive (HSE) has announced the identity of three new members of an inquiry panel reviewing the circumstances surrounding the death in Galway last month of Savita Halappanavar..

The announcement was made in the form of a statement issued by the HSE this evening and included a renewed appeal for Mr Halappanavar to meet with the investigation team.

The HSE also outlined the investigation's draft terms of reference as hundreds gathered outside Leinster House to protest over Ms Halappanavar's death. As many was 2,000 people attended the vigil which was addressed by Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald and the United Left Alliance's Claire Daly Up to 70 people also protested outside the Irish embassy in Berlin tonight.

The HSE investigation was thrown into turmoil after the HSE on Monday named three Galway hospital consultants on the inquiry panel.

Mr Halappanavar objected to the inclusion on the panel of three employees of the hospital and within 24 hours they had been dropped amid concerns of a conflict of interest. Mr Halappanavar has called for a public inquiry into his wife's death, saying he has "no confidence" in a HSE-sponsored investigation.

The replacements are: Professor James Walker, Professor and honorary consultant of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in St James Hospital in Leeds, Dr Brian Marsh, consultant in Intensive Care Medicine, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and immediate past-Dean, Joint Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine of Ireland and Professor Mary Horgan, Consultant Physician in Cork University Hospital and Professor in the School of Medicine, University College Cork.

The announcement came shortly after President Michael D Higgins said the inquiry must be configured to meet the needs of Ms Halappanavar's family, the needs of the public and the needs of the State.

The investigation must ensure ‘above all else’ that women will be safer and get the medical services during pregnancy to which they are entitled, Mr Higgins said during the first of a three-day official visit to Liverpool and Manchester, accompanied by his wife, Sabina.

Mr Higgins’ comments — the first published since the tragedy became public — came in response to questions from local journalists.

The Irish Constitution and the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights — which ruled that Ireland had violated the rights of a woman who travelled to Britain for an abortion — must be respected, Mr Higgins said.

Earlier, Enda Kenny said Praveen Halappanavar could meet Prof Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran without prejudice to his views or his future feelings towards the investigation.

“Comments attributed to the man in the national newspapers are very different than what I see emanating from the legal team,’’ Mr Kenny added.