Paul Murphy calls for independent probe into Otnish Illumina health

I want to raise a particular issue about the health of those who live in the shadow of the Otnish Illumina plant in Limerick, this is an issue that dates back to 1989, when animals began dying on farms in the area, and then there were increased incidences of serious human health problems, increased rates of fatal fetal abnormalities, increased rates of cancer, upper respiratory tract issues, eyes being inflamed, and so on. Later on then there was an investigation into this involving DPA, Chagisk, Department of Agriculture, and others, but there was a crucial problem in that investigation in that the blood samples, the human blood samples went missing, which meant that the investigation was not really able to be a comprehensive and independent investigation. In 2018, while you were Minister for Health, you were given a 26-page dossier by Deputy and Dr Hardy, who was a representative of the area, as well as Catherine Connolly, and Catherine Murphy, asking you to appoint an independent health expert, like you did in the cervical cancer scandal, to investigate the dossier outside of your department, as there was new information contained in it. As you understand it, and you might not have this to your memory, which is fine, you refused to give that, to have any independent view of it, and instead simply went back to say, there's nothing new here, and so on. I'm asking you to look again at this dossier, I can send it to you, and to agree that there will be an independent investigation. Thank you. We have sufficient time for your answer. Thanks very much. Thanks to deputies for raising a range of issues. Obviously, when the question is to ask when the Cabinet Committee on Health will next meet, people will have to come back on some of the specifics, because quite a few of the questions very significantly, I'd imagine, stray from standing orders, whilst being valid and important questions in and of themselves. But look, in relation to Deputy Boyd Barrett's question, and he has raised this on a number of occasions, and I think it's a serious point in relation to the issue of medical prioritisation and the local authorities, and his request for a circular relationship. The disadvantage that I'm always at in relation to this is the benefit of the line minister here with me, but let me talk directly to the Minister for Housing in relation to that issue, because what we don't want is a situation that you're outlining, where somebody who has two children with muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis is having a back and forth, debating the status of their healthcare with their housing authority. We both know, and we might have different views, but we both know the housing constraints that people face, but parents of children who are sick and people in general who are sick or have a disability don't need to be going back and forth, so let me look into that, and to my own officials watching this, we will engage with the Minister for Housing on that, and I'll come back to you directly in relation to that. To Deputy Murnane O'Connor, thank you for raising some important issues around nursing homes, nursing home care, and I suppose your request for clarity and transparency over what is and isn't covered, both through the fair deal scheme, the nursing home support scheme, and indeed through the medical card, and you gave the example of the air syringe costs, but also the staff burden that's being faced by nursing homes, and indeed being charged of blood when you have a medical card. I'll raise both with Minister Donnelly and Minister Butler, and we'll come back to you in relation to that. To Deputy O'Sullivan, I just met some people today at the Dark Station earlier who were on their way to an important conference around rare diseases, and this is a very important issue. I think, again, I want to talk to the Minister for Health on this, but I think there's a fair point you make here. We have some very, very, very large pharmaceutical companies here, I think nine of the ten top biggest companies in the world in pharma are based here in Ireland. We have incredible universities and research infrastructure, and we have a health service that we're funding now well over €22 billion a year, so can we do more in relation to access to orphan drugs and learn from the European example? I think we can, I think we have to, but I'll talk to Minister Donnelly about your suggestion and we'll come back to you. To Deputy Murphy, in relation to Ogunish, thank you for offering to send that on again, because I don't want to reference something that I don't have the documentation in front of me. But if you will send that to me again, I'd appreciate that and I'm happy to look at that and talk to the Minister for Health and the Department of Health in relation to that. Deputy Murphy, in relation to Delgan House, I did have the opportunity to meet a woman when I was in Dundalk in recent days in relation to this. And I think you used a very important word there, mechanism, and I think that's what the family, sorry, I don't wish to speak for the families, but my sense is that's what the families want to know, is what is the mechanism that can be put in place for them to get truth, justice and answers? I share that view, I know you do too, and it is about deciding what is the best mechanism. Is that the COVID review or is that actually going to be a particular pillar of work? There were some suggestions made to me when I met and I've also exchanged contact details with that family member. And so I'm happy to engage on this, engage with the Minister of Health and come back to you on it. But I do fully accept that there are answers needed in relation to what happened in Delgan House and the families at the very least they deserve. And I will work constructively with opposition to what that best mechanism is to bring about those answers. Deputy O'Sullivan, in relation to elder health care, island health care, excuse me, in Bear Island and Cape Clear, and the nursing resource and the importance of supporting island health care. I'll talk to the HSE and the Minister for Health. I take the point you make, we want to see our islands thrive, islands off our island. And obviously access to health care is an important part of making sure we have sustainable communities. Similarly, I'll follow up in relation to Bantry General Hospital and the neurology service there and the importance of it to Parkinson's patients. And I'll ask the Minister for Health to come directly back to you. And to Deputy Conway Walsh in relation to University Hospital Galway, the importance of it as a centre of excellence and the traumatic experience that it sounds like one of your constituents has encountered there that you believe is replicated by many more. I was in Galway recently and I met some of the leading doctors working in this area. I know the Secretary General of the Department of Health was down, the Minister for Health was down, in relation to the development plans for the hospital, for the hospital services, for centres of excellence. I'll get you a detailed note on that that we can share with your constituents. Thank you. We now move to question 11. Thank you very much. With the agreement of the House, I'm proposing to take questions 11 to 16 together. On 7 May of this year, the Government agreed to my request to appoint a taskforce to take a holistic view of the measures required to rejuvenate Dublin city centre north and south. The goal is to make Dublin city centre a more thriving, attractive and safe cityscape and a desirable location to live, work, do business in and to visit. The taskforce is taking an evidence informed approach in its work and it will provide recommendations to improve the city centre's public ground, safety and experience. It will harness existing efforts and initiatives underway, including within the Dublin City Coordination Office, as well as existing initiatives such as the Dublin North East Inner City Initiative and the Dublin North Inner City Local Community Safety Partnership. The taskforce will not duplicate efforts already underway, but will instead consider what additional coordinated activities could galvanise actions to return Dublin city centre to be the vibrant destination we know it to be, and to deliver on a shared vision of central Dublin's public space. The taskforce is led by an independent chair, Mr David McRedmond, the Chief Executive Officer of Unpust. He brings a wealth of insights and experiences to the role. Membership of the taskforce includes representatives from the public service, including the local authority, the national transport authority, representatives of city centre business, trade union representatives, representatives of the community and service provider sector and the culture and arts sector too. The taskforce is being supported in its work by Dublin City Council, and I want to acknowledge the support of the Chief Executive of Dublin City Council on this, and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and the Department of Justice. The Department of the Taoiseach will bring together a senior officials group as required by the taskforce to inform the work. The first meeting of the taskforce took place on Tuesday, 21 May. The taskforce has been requested to deliver its recommendations for consideration by Government within 12 weeks. Award-winning