The Minister for Health, Micheál Martin, has said he is extremely annoyed and frustrated at the delays in establishing an inquiry into the suspension of two consultant surgeons in Cavan Hospital.
He said the difficulties encountered in holding this inquiry were due in part to the refusal of the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association to participate because of a disagreement over fees.
The minister met the chief executive and officials from the North Eastern Health Board this afternoon to discuss the consultants' row in the hospital, and the recent death of Frances Sheridan at the hospital.
Nine-year-old Frances died two weeks after undergoing an appendix operation at the hospital.
Earlier today party leaders in the Dáil expressed their sympathies to the girl's family.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, who raised the issue, said that people had voted for the Government in the last election because of the promise of a world class health system.
He said Micheál Martin had failed to deliver on that promise - and that political responsibility stops on the minister's desk in the Department of Health.
Deputy Kenny urged Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to see to it that the minister will deal with the latest in a series of tragic incidents.
The Taoiseach said that every day he, Minister Martin, and the 100,000 people working in the health service were trying to ensure that they delivered the best possible service.
