Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I said, I am personally very angry that the women were not informed. They should have been. It was their health, their lives and their families and they had a right to know. We need to do everything we can to make sure this will never happen again. Patients should always be informed of clinical information pertinent to their case. I come from the medical profession. I am the Taoiseach, a doctor and also the brother of two sisters and know that a lot of women are afraid today. The 160 women who know that they have cervical cancer but who may not have been told about their previous false smear test result will be told this today, if they have not already been told. They will be offered an individual appointment this week in order that their clinical case can be discussed. I also know that a lot of women are very afraid today that the HSE knows that they have cancer but has not told them. That is a real concern for women, but I want them to know that that is not the case. There is nobody today with a diagnosis of cervical cancer who has not been told by the HSE. There has been a misunderstanding and I reaffirm that point very clearly. I reassure people that there is no one walking around today with a cervical cancer diagnosis from whom that information is being withheld by the HSE. I also reassure women who have had smear tests. One of my girl friends with whom I spoke over the weekend was very concerned. She had a smear test in the past couple of months and is now very worried as to whether the result was accurate. I reassure women that while no screening test is 100% accurate, the tests are as accurate as they can be and pick up the vast majority of cancers.

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