Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation
Dail Éireann — 2026-10-01
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Simon Harris (FG), Wicklow

I thank the Deputy for the constructive way in which he is engaging on this. I do not doubt the bona fides of anyone in this House and I ask that no one doubt the bona fides of people on this side of the House in terms of wanting to get this right. There are diverse views and what Deputy Rice said earlier may be right, there may be a significant view that it should all be in public, but some people will want to give information in private. We all understand that. The Sinn Féin leader said that yesterday.
Getting the structure right matters. Getting the terms of reference right matters. In my experience, and I am sure in that of the Deputy, getting the chairperson right matters, so the chairperson has an understanding of the terms of reference, not just what they mean in black and white, but what they mean in effect and the spirit to be given to them.
There will be engagement with the advocacy groups. The Taoiseach was clear about that yesterday in the House and I am clear on that too. It is appropriate for that engagement to take place through the Department of Health and the Minister for Health. The Government will consider all that. There will be engagement and the terms of reference will have to come back to the House for the statutory inquiry to be established. Let us all work to get this right.
People have different views, but I think the Remy Farrell report is an important piece of work and should be considered in that context. However, there is always room to engage and consult.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-10-01/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-10-05T01:01:00+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-10-01