I speak with a very heavy heart about this and I am sorry if I am taking the risk of hurting the feelings of any of my colleagues. As the only hospital specialist medical consultant and the only medical doctor who is not a member of the dominant party of government in the Oireachtas, I feel I must give the independent opinion I was mandated to give when elected on a health issue which has arisen and about which I feel very strongly. Will the Leader ask the Minister for Health to attend the House today to explain and to defend the composition of the investigative panel into the Galway tragedy? I believe it is absurd.

Hear, hear.

With no disrespect to the individuals involved, Ireland is small and so too is our medical community. With approximately 2,000 consultants, it is well known that it is notoriously difficult whenever any medical-legal issue arises in Ireland to get an Irish doctor to give any testimony about any other Irish doctor because there is a better than batting average chance they have been in medical school together or know each other from a professional society. With no disrespect to Galway, there are 122 consultants in the medical community there, three of whom are on the investigative panel. It is simply not credible that these people do not have an extensive network of professional, and probably social, connections with some of the people whose actions they may be directly or indirectly investigating and adjudicating on. It is wrong and inappropriate that it has been set up in this way.

The argument that has been advanced is that it is necessary to have them on the panel to explain the procedures, standards and protocols which are in place at the hospital in question. Again, this is simply not credible. If I wanted to get all parliamentary and glib here, I would draw certain parallels with other situations of investigation where people should not be on an investigative panel. Out of respect to my colleagues, however, I will not do it.

It is singularly inappropriate that these three persons are on this panel. All of the evidence and information concerning the standards in Galway could be and should be sought from testimonial witnesses, not by members of the investigative panel.

Is the Senator proposing an amendment to the Order of Business?

In a situation like this where there may be an influence on legislation, there is a significant influence on the poor family who so sadly lost their daughter and wife. They have already expressed their displeasure and lack of satisfaction with the composition of the panel. Before this goes any further, we need to let it be known that this is just not satisfactory. I will be pressing for the Minister to come in here today-----

Is that an amendment to the Order of Business?

Yes, this is a proposal for an amendment to the Order of Business.