Vol. 415 No. 8
291 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health if he will make a statement on recent media reports (details supplied) that he does not feel obliged to contribute towards the cost of the Beaumont Inquiry; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I fully appreciate that the fitness-to-practice inquiry currently conducted by the Medical Council into events at Beaumont Hospital is imposing considerable costs on all of the parties to the inquiry.
There are no funds at my disposal and, indeed, there is no statutory provision for the Minister for Health to meet expenses incurred by the Medical Council.
The Medical Council is a self-funding, self-regulating and independent body and it would be inappropriate for me to make any comment on the matter.
