Seanad report: There would be no cover-up over the death of Patrick Walsh in Monaghan General Hospital a week ago, Minister of State for Health and Children Seán Power told the House. There would be a full inquiry into the tragedy.
At the concluding stages of a special debate on acute hospital services in Monaghan, Cavan and the northeastern region, Mr Power said the question was who had been in charge of Mr Walsh's care. "I have no doubt but that those answers will be provided in the report."
Brian Hayes, Fine Gael leader in the House, said there was obviously a clear directive that life-threatening situations could not be dealt with in the Monaghan hospital. It was bizarre that any group would dictate such a policy.
"It is an absolute disgrace that we have skilled surgeons, skilled medics who had to look on as a man lost his life last Friday, and they could not intervene because of some bureaucratic ruling which the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste say does not exist but clearly does exist."
Francis O'Brien (Fianna Fáil) begged the Minister to ensure that the services that Monaghan hospital required were provided for the people of the county.
David Norris (Ind) sympathised with Mr Walsh's relatives who had had to stand by while he got locked into a kind of lunatic bureaucracy.
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Strongly criticising EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, Peter Callanan (FF) described him as "a twice-failed British politician who may be out to rebuild his reputation by adopting the old British motor, 'Cheap food at any cost'." His recent World Trade talks proposals would undermine food production in Europe. It was time for him to withdraw from the scene.
When Noel Coonan (FG) said the Minister for Foreign Affairs had welcomed Mr Mandelson's remarks, Mr Callanan retorted: "No, he did not. Mr Mandelson is spinning."