Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We all know that. However, if the Department's role is to determine potential adverse future use of screening services, which is exactly what has happened, should officials not have asked the national screening service when it said: "This is Vicky Phelan's case. This is what is coming. There is an issue of a false negative. Actually it is more serious than that. It is a missed screening of cancer. The State Claims Agency say in their view there is going to be publicity around that."? I know hindsight is a wonderful thing. Should officials not have asked the national screening service if this was an isolated case or if there were other issues? Officials gave the Minister a note and therefore knew about it. The court case from the State's perspective centred on non-disclosure. Where there is potential liability to the State and it goes to the confidence of the screening service, would officials not regularly ask if it is an isolated case or if there are more? Should that question not be asked?