The Irish government has not ruled out an independent inquiry into Savita Halappanavar’s death with the Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmor saying that its priority is to find out the truth.
“I wouldn’t rule anything out,’’ he said echoing similar comments by other officials.
His remarks came as Savita’s husband, Praveen Halappanavar, met Health Minister James Reilly and said that he was happy that four weeks after his wife’s death he was finally able to meet a government representative.
“I’m just glad that we met and he just passed on his condolences to the family,” he said. His lawyer Gerard O’Donnell , who was present at the meeting , described the talks as “positive.”
According to The Irish Times , Mr. Reilly was “considering” the growing demand for an open inquiry.
Asked whether the issue of a public inquiry was raised during the meeting, Mr. O’Donnell said: “He [Reilly] said he was very sorry and indicated he would do whatever is possible. We had a good discussion. Praveen let him know his wish for a public inquiry, and that that was the wishes of Savita’s family. I get the impression he is considering everything we said.”
Mr. Reilly has previously said that he did not rule out such an inquiry but it could “go on for years.”
Mr. Halappanavar made it clear that he would not be satisfied with anything less than a “full independent” inquiry and has reportedly refused to cooperate with the official probe by Ireland’s Health Service Executive (HSE) saying he has “no faith” in it.
His lawyer said he was prepared to go to the European Court of Human Rights if the Irish government refused his demand. Mr. Halappanavar was reported to be considering making a complaint to Ireland’s Ombudsman about the missing notes from his wife’s medical records. He said crucial notes relating to her repeated requests for abortion were missing from the records of Galway University Hospital made available to him.
Praveen willing to settle for nothing less than a “full independent” inquiry
