Report on death of babies at Portlaoise hospital will be of use to Hiqa – Kenny

The Chief Medical Officer's report into the deaths of babies at Portlaoise General Hospital will be of use to the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), in deciding the scope and nature of further investigations, according to the Taoiseach.

Enda Kenny told the Dáil that Minister for Health James Reilly had spent six hours on Sunday with the parents of children who died at the hospital, during or shortly after birth.

“The HSE will now meet all the families concerned to discuss how their legitimate complaints can be fully addressed,” said Mr Kenny.

“The Minister has instructed the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Holohan, to prepare a report on the cases. That report will be of use to Hiqa in deciding the scope and nature of investigations to take place,” he said.

Dr Reilly has confirmed Hiqa would review the Chief Medical Officer’s report.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said a fully independent inquiry was called for. "I do not believe health authorities can investigate themselves in situations such as this," said Mr Martin. He said a fully transparent inquiry, independent of the health authorities, should be carried out and that "subsequently a wider review of maternity practice in the country would also be initiated and conducted".

He said people who watched the RTÉ Prime Time programme were shocked by "not only the matter of the care and the manner in which the babies died, but also the shocking way that the parents were treated subsequently by hospital management and HSE officials".

Mr Kenny agreed it was a matter of the “gravest concern”. He said Dr Reilly spent time on Sunday with the parents of the children, “in a private way talking to them about their stories and the impact of their feelings about what happened”.

He said the Minister had also written to the chairman of the Oireachtas health committee expressing grave concern about the manner in which the parents were treated, “not least the manner in which families were dealt with following the tragic death of their newborn infants”.

Mr Kenny said the Minister had asked for an immediate response from the Chief Medical Officer.

The Fianna Fáil leader said he had confidence in the Chief Medical Officer “but that step is not the appropriate step to take”.