(Supplementary Order Paper)

59 DÁIL ÉIREANN

Dé Máirt, 29 Meitheamh, 2010 Tuesday, 29th June, 2010

2.30 p.m.

GNÓ COMHALTAÍ PRÍOBHÁIDEACHA PRIVATE MEMBERS' BUSINESS

Fógra i dtaobh leasú ar Thairscint : Notice of Amendment to Motion

78. “That Dáil Éireann: noting with concern: — that to date the Health Service Executive (HSE) has received almost 300 telephone calls from concerned women and their families about the treatment received in maternity hospitals around the country; — that to date approximately a dozen women have come forward with stories of having been wrongly told by maternity hospitals that their babies had miscarried, only to give birth later to healthy infants; — the failure of the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, T.D., to take direct action on the miscarriage misdiagnosis scandal and to alleviate the concerns of many families facing the trauma of having their case reviewed; — that six months after Melissa Redmond’s erroneous scan, the ultrasound machine at the hospital was still in use; — that a review carried out by staff at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, completed last December, found that the ultrasound machine displayed ‘evidence of fatigue’ and that the image resolution was ‘not adequate to accurately assess early pregnancies and their complications’; — that people’s trust in the HSE has been shattered; and — that too many families have lost loved ones through various scandals that have emerged in our health services such as those in Portlaoise, the North East, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Ennis in recent years; recognises the urgent need for the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to conduct an audit of antenatal and maternity services including the standard and safety of equipment, staff workloads, care protocols and training of personnel; and calls on the Government to establish a dedicated independent Patient Safety Authority, which will incorporate HIQA to: — reassure patients that they have a safe place to go with their complaint;

P.T.O. — act as an advocate for them; and — ensure that investigations take place when and where appropriate.” — James Reilly, , Bernard Allen, James Bannon, Seán Barrett, Pat Breen, , Ulick Burke, Catherine Byrne, , Deirdre Clune, Paul Connaughton, Noel J. Coonan, , Seymour Crawford, , Lucinda Creighton, Michael D'Arcy, John Deasy, Jimmy Deenihan, Andrew Doyle, Bernard J. Durkan, , Olwyn Enright, , , Terence Flanagan, , Tom Hayes, , , Pádraic McCormack, Shane McEntee, Dinny McGinley, Joe McHugh, Olivia Mitchell, Denis Naughten, , Michael Noonan, Kieran O'Donnell, Fergus O'Dowd, Jim O'Keeffe, John O'Mahony, John Perry, , Alan Shatter, Tom Sheahan, P. J. Sheehan, , Billy Timmins, .

Leasú: Amendment:

1. To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:

“expresses sympathy with any woman who has been affected by misdiagnosis of miscarriage; recognises that Ireland has achieved, and is maintaining, very high quality maternity services and has, by reference to international standards, maternal, perinatal and infant mortality rates that are among the lowest in the world; welcomes the key actions that have been taken to address the issue of misdiagnosed miscarriages including: — the fact that the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health and Children and the Director of Quality and Clinical Care in the Health Service Executive (HSE) have jointly written to all obstetric units advising them to ensure that the decision to use drugs or surgical intervention in these circumstances must be approved by a consultant obstetrician; — the HSE’s announcement of details of a Miscarriage Misdiagnosis Review Team, and its terms of reference, including the appointment as chair of an independent expert from outside the jurisdiction; and — the establishment, earlier this year, of a clinical programme for obstetric care by the HSE’s National Director of Quality and Clinical Care which will define best practice care for early pregnancy loss and other aspects of obstetric care; welcomes the actions that have been taken by the Minister for Health and Children, with the support of the Government, to improve the safety and quality of care for patients across the broad spectrum of health service activity including, in particular: — the establishment of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) as an independent authority to drive continuous improvement in Ireland’s health and social care services; and — the work being done to implement the recommendations of the Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance; recognises the effectiveness which HIQA has already demonstrated in carrying out its role as a regulatory authority, which already incorporates the role of a Patient Safety Authority; endorses the Minister for Health and Children’s intention to bring forward legislative proposals that will include the mandatory licensing of private and public hospitals and welcomes, in this regard, the preparations currently being made by HIQA to initiate an early public consultation on draft National Standards for Better, Safer Healthcare; and supports the other reforms currently underway to improve the quality and safety of our health and social care services including the introduction of competence assurance under the provisions of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007, the promotion of clinical leadership and the development of national care standards and protocols.” — An tAire Sláinte agus Leanaí.

TEACHTAIREACHTAÍ ÓN RIALTAS MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNMENT

An Bille um Nós Imeachta Coiriúil 2009. Criminal Procedure Bill 2009.

For the purpose of Article 17.2 of the Constitution, the Government recommend that it is expedient to authorise such payments out of moneys provided by the as are necessary to give effect to any Act of the present session to amend and extend the Criminal Justice Act 1993; to amend criminal law and procedure in other respects, including making provision for exceptions to the rule against double jeopardy so as to enable the Court of Criminal Appeal to hear and determine applications brought in certain circumstances by the Director of Public Prosecutions to quash certain acquittals and to have persons who are the subject of those applications re-tried, and to provide for an appeal to the Supreme Court on a point of law from a determination of the Court of Criminal Appeal in respect of such applications; to extend the powers of the Garda Síochána in relation to the investigation of certain offences; to extend the circumstances in which the Director of Public Prosecutions or the Attorney General, as may be appropriate, may take an appeal in criminal proceedings; to amend the Criminal Justice (Evidence) Act 1924 and to amend and extend the law relating to evidence in other respects; to amend the Criminal Justice Act 1994, the Criminal Procedure Act 1967, the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962, the Criminal Justice Act 1951, the Offences Against the State Act 1939 and the Courts of Justice Act 1924; and to provide for related matters.

Given on this 29th day of June, 2010

(Signed) Brian Cowen, An .

P.T.O.