Statutory duty of candour
Seán Ó Fearghaíl asks whether pending health legislation will require candour over medical injuries; the Tánaiste cannot confirm the contents or publication date of the revised Health Information Bill.
The legislative programme contains a number of important health Bills, not least the health information Bill. Is it intended in that Bill or any other health Bill that is pending to introduce a statutory duty of candour? I raise this question in the context of recent court decisions, where we have seen the HSE resist up to the steps of the court acceptance of responsibility for the injury of individual; in some instances people have suffered for several years while the State continues to refuse to accept responsibility. This issue could be dealt with by introducing a duty of candour in the legislation. Does the Government propose to do this?
