The death of Patrick Walsh in Monaghan hospital last week has been raised again in the Dáil, with the Taoiseach insisting there are no protocols preventing doctors there from acting in the best interests of patients.
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny claimed that the Health Service Executive had criticised a surgeon some months ago for carrying out emergency surgery in Monaghan.
He said there was an administrative blockage there which could be cleared up by a direction from the Minister for Health, Mary Harney.
Mr Walsh, 75, died from a bleeding ulcer because surgeons at Monaghan General Hospital were not allowed to perform emergency surgery, and because a bed was apparently unavailable elsewhere.
An independent inquiry is being conducted, but already it has emerged that intensive care beds were available in both Cavan and Drogheda hospitals.
Today, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said there was no administrative protocol preventing doctors at Monaghan doing what was right for a patient, and advised everyone to wait for the independent report before reaching conclusions about Mr Walsh's death.
HSE 'accepts' responsibility
Earlier, on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, the Chief Executive of the HSE, Professor Brendan Drumm, said the organisation had to accept responsibility for the death of Mr Walsh, from Killanny near Carrickmacross in Co Monaghan.
However, he rejected calls for the restoration of acute emergency surgical services at Monaghan, saying he would challenge 'anyone' to produce an expert who would state there should be five acute hospitals to service a population of 300,000.
Professor Drumm added that it was very much time for politicians to start thinking outside of local issues and focus instead on what is best for people's health.
He said an inquiry would, among other matters, look at how the staff at Monaghan dealt with Mr Walsh's case.
