Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for coming here today. They will have a huge role to play in the coming weeks. It is a very important role. Many people watching proceedings are depending on the witnesses. I know that because people have told me. There is a need for clarity and honesty. There is a need for the witnesses to explain what happened in the past. I have some of their documentation here. They flagged it in big red flashing lights in their professional analysis with regard to what some of my colleagues have addressed and which I will address with regard to the reviews, audits, processes and what has been delivered. I will also address the future. Let us not forget about that because obviously there will be a change. The dogs in the street know that.

We will bring this back as there would be an outcry otherwise. How do we resource for that in terms of human resources, IT resources, lab resources and all of that? How do we plan for it? Whatever is necessary has to be put in place. The witnesses will also be dealing with Dr. Karin Denton who is working with Dr. Scally on his work. I do not know if the witnesses have met or spoken with her yet. I expect the Department of Health is watching proceedings. Whoever in the Department of Health is watching proceedings, the Secretary General or whoever, will he or she please organise for these individuals to meet the representatives of the Scally team? I understand the relevant person is Dr. Karin Denton. Perhaps that would happen this week because it is very important.

I have a range of questions on the past, present and future. I have the very strong letter that Mr. Casey sent on 6 June 2008 to members of the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association. He pointed out that they would not be able to competitively tender into the future as a result of the decision and would not be able to develop capacity into the future which would have ancillary restrictions on the work its members do in the future. It is a very strong letter. Attached is a very strong statement from the time, which I read in a historical context given what we now know. It stands out very clearly. Mr. Casey talks about quality and detection rates, the future ability to tender, the creation of a monopoly, the reduction in mortality rates and the work that was being done on reform. His statement notes that Ireland stands relatively high on quality of performance. It is a very good letter and statement. Perhaps I will put a number of questions and the witnesses can come back on them because I have a range of questions. Mr. Casey said on quality in detection rates that "from recently adjusted figures, excluding urgent smear policy, at least 30% of cases with pre-cancerous cells will go undetected based on the data from the previous outsourcing exercise by the NCSS to Quest Diagnostics." I ask the witnesses to elaborate on that. It does not have to be Mr. Casey.