Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would argue that the barrier was a human barrier rather than a technical one. On the laboratory data, Mr. McCallion said that drawing out historical data is a complex process. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked Mr. McCallion about the results from the laboratories for 2013-2014, 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. I have a photograph of the results on my phone which is dated 9 May. I do not know on what date the committee received them but I got them on that date from the witnesses. We were able to get them on 9 May, which is a month ago. What is so complicated about getting the results for previous years? Do the witnesses expect us to believe that there is not a similar data available for other years? The data we have comprises four columns detailing the names of the laboratories, the form of screening that took place, the number of inappropriate smears, the number of negative results and various other percentages. How is it that it was easy to get the results for that period when today we are being told it is complex to draw out historical data? Are we back to technicalities with searching the spreadsheet or there is another reason?