Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Edwards and Ms Cullen-Delsol for their presentation. Quite honestly, I found it difficult to listen to what they have just told the committee. I cannot imagine how difficult it is to have gone through that and then to have to recount the trauma that they and their families went through for the purposes of effecting change, but I thank them for doing so.

I do not have many questions because I do not disagree. The purpose of the committee is to hear evidence and to test that evidence at times or provide an alternative view, but I do not disagree with anything that they have said. What they said makes perfect sense. What does not make sense is that we do not have services for those situations today. It is remarkable. Only for the services provided in another jurisdiction close by we probably would have dealt with this issue a long time ago.

I would be interested to know what the next steps were immediately after they got the diagnosis. Ms Cullen-Delsol mentioned she got a phone call and I am not sure whether the Edwards family were told in person or over the phone. What did their doctors do because, obviously, they are quite constrained in what they can say and what help they can offer? What happened, maybe that day or the day after, subsequent to them getting the diagnosis?