asked the Minister for Health whether he has seen a signed letter in the issue of 4th December, 1963, of a Dublin national daily newspaper purporting to be from an ex-patient of St. Kevin's Hospital, in the course of which the writer stated that he was prepared to substantiate on oath complaints which he had made previously in regard to conditions in that hospital; and whether, in the light of that letter, he will cause a sworn inquiry to be held into the allegations.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Conditions in St. Kevin's (Dublin) Hospital.
7.
I have seen the letter referred to and another letter from the same person published shortly before that. The author has not communicated with me at any stage and I had not heard of him before the publication of his first letter.
From inquiries I have made, I understand that the gentleman in question was a patient in the hospital more than three years ago and has not since been a patient there. After so long a lapse of time, it would be difficult to confirm or to refute any information which he may be in a position to supply, based on his personal experience.
The holding of a sworn inquiry is an expensive procedure but if the author of the letters furnishes me with a statement on oath confirming his allegations and if confirmatory statements, also on oath, from not less than six persons who had been patients in the hospital within the past 12 months are forthcoming, I would be prepared to submit these statements to the Dublin Health Authority for their observations and, in the light of such observations, to consider whether a sworn inquiry should now be held.
In fairness to the health authority and to the staff of the hospital, I feel that I should say that over the last few years I have on many occasions heard of tributes paid by ex-patients and their relatives to the high standard of treatment and care afforded to patients while in this hospital.