21. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health if her Department has received a copy of a 2017 report into paediatric urology services, known as the Dickson report (details supplied); if her Department was made aware of the existence of this report by Children’s Health Ireland, CHI, or anyone from Temple Street or Crumlin hospitals prior to CHI’s establishment; her views on CHI’s decision not to publish the report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34815/25]

Sentiment score: 0.01

A number of patient advocacy groups and parents have for a long time been calling for this report to be published. I urge the Minister to consider that and to consider publishing that report along with the others. What we have seen time and again from CHI are issues around transparency, accountability and a reluctance to release information, and we have had to drag that information from the organisation, which is deeply concerning. It indicates to me that the culture in the organisation is not changing. This is another example of it. Last week we raised the internal investigation with CHI. Its officials told the Joint Committee on Health they would provide us with the legal advice on that internal investigation. We have not received that legal advice from them. CHI did publish a summary, as the Minister mentioned. Is it her view that that summary of the internal investigation is a true reflection of the full report?

Sentiment score: 0.00

I thank the Minister. There are ways of publishing these reports that anonymise the individuals and redact information that is key but then provide full transparency and accountability because trust in this organisation is now at an all-time low. Families are deeply concerned. We need more information released and more publications. Sunlight is a good disinfectant and CHI has been at every stage reluctant to release information to us. I also raise concerns about some of the answers to parliamentary questions we are getting from CHI. Its officials are reluctant to answer reasonable questions we are putting to them. I have no doubt they will be before the health committee again. We have a long list of questions to put to CHI. I have concerns around the pace at which the culture is changing. It seems to me that culture change is not happening quickly enough. That reluctance to release information persists and we have seen that time and again with report after report and the one referenced here is another example of that.

Sentiment score: -0.01