David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Before we conclude, it is important to review what we have agreed for next week. Before I do that, I believe I can speak on behalf of all members on this issue. Today started for me with the "Morning Ireland" interview with Emma Mhic Mhathúna. Since then, I have spent hours at this meeting and I have found this to be one of the most depressing exchanges the committee has had because of the absolute lack of information forthcoming. There is still serious confusion and nobody wants to take responsibility for anything. This is a source of great irritation to me and I am deeply shocked.

I will make a final point on the first briefing note of March 2016 and the statement in that note that there "is always the risk that in communicating individual case reports to clinicians of an individual patient reacting by contacting the media". The concern was that the women might go to the media and that women should not be trusted. That is the message I get from the briefing note. This is beyond shocking when one considers how this day started for most of the people in the room.

To take up the point made by Teachta MacSharry, it is important that the director general of the HSE appears before the committee again next week. Dr. Holohan tried to do his best to interpret elements of these briefing notes but we have only an interpretation. We need to hear from the people who wrote the notes and the HSE director general who is responsible for overseeing all of this. The correct course of action, therefore, would be to invite Mr. O'Brien to appear again and if he cannot attend, the person who is next in charge, whoever that may be. Mr. O'Brien should, however, make himself available. The Department also needs to be represented and I hope Mr. Breslin, when he returns next week, will have found the correspondence he indicated he started to look for today. It would be great if he had that material next week in order that members could discuss it. He can send it on to the committee at any time. If he does not have it, that would indicate to me that it was never sent. We will find out next week.

The other witnesses we hope to have before the committee next week are Mr. John Gleeson, Dr. Stephanie O'Keeffe, representatives of the National Cancer Registry who, I understand, have confirmed they will attend, the national director of human resources in the HSE and a representative of the Medical Council. All the relevant invitations will issue.