Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputies Eamon Ryan and Seamus Healy. I pay tribute to Vicky Phelan, who has done this State some service. We know something of this scandal that is unfolding because of her determination and courage. Thanks to her bravery and refusal to sign a confidentiality clause, we are now beginning to find out just what happened behind this whole debacle. Had it not been for that, we might not have known anything about this. We were very lucky that Vicky Phelan is the brave person that she is. This may all have been hidden behind a court case and confidentiality clause.

The priority in all of this has to be the women concerned. We have to ensure that everything possible can be done for them. It has not been done up to now but at this point the Minister has to give an absolute commitment that everything possible will be done for those women in the provision of whatever health services and supports are required. There is also a requirement that the Minister give a commitment that the State will not contest any cases that are in process or that might arise as a result of this scandal. There can be no question of the State pursuing any of these women in the aggressive manner that we saw displayed with Vicky Phelan and many other cases through the years. That has to be a priority.

The other priority has to be all of those women who are now so nervous and are wondering if they will get a phone call. For that reason, I think there was mishandling of this in recent days. The information that was available to the Minister and HSE was not made available and huge uncertainty was allowed to develop over many days. The Minister has made a shocking disclosure to us tonight, that there is a potentially considerable additional number of women who are not subject to audit and we do not have any information about them. It is not acceptable to put all of this into an inquiry where we may or may not get answers in 12 months or longer. Experience with other inquiries and tribunals is that we have been told that an issue is all a matter for an inquiry or tribunal. That is not good enough in this case. We have to get answers now, not in 12 months. The Minister needs to come into this House in a matter of days when he has further information about that shocking disclosure that he made tonight.

There is a fundamental question at the heart of this issue, about how it is that an audit was carried out, not acted on, why there was such a long delay in notifying the clinicians' concern and, more importantly, why there was such a delay or utter failure to notify the women concerned. We need to know what policy is being pursued. Is the Minister still talking about a situation that is utterly paternalistic where women are kept in the dark? Will the Minister clarify that for us? What is the policy in that respect now? Will the Minister clarify, with regard to the duty of candour, when action will be taken and when the medical and legal professions will be faced down in this regard? We have no more time to waste with that.

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