Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I listened to Mr. Reid's comments on overcrowding in accident and emergency departments and I accept his point on changes that have to be made in other areas to ensure these problems are solved. I am with him 100% on that but the problem of resources is staring us in the face.

If I see changes in resources, particularly the area I pointed out, I will go with the Minister immediately. If I do not see changes in resources, I will not because the Minister ultimately has that choice to make. I have pointed this out numerous times. I am staying with him but only for a short time because if he does not deal with the resources gap, that is his issue. That is just reality.

Will he respond regarding John Wall and the medical card? Deputy O'Reilly, myself and others have raised this. It is a genuine case and a genuine issue for terminally ill patients. We should react positively.

I previously raised an issue with the Minister and Mr. Reid of a woman for whom it cost more than €100,000 to get her gallbladder out. That happened over 11 weeks and involved two hospitals. I never received a response. How can a gallbladder operation cost more than €100,000 and how can someone spend 11 weeks in hospital? It is insane and multiple hospitals are involved as well as the public-private issue. It was meant to be investigated but I never received an answer.

On 5 December at 2.25 p.m. a letter issued from the HSE stating that all the people in the RCOG review were not getting the €2,000. I welcome what the Minister and the Taoiseach have done today but the fact is that the people around the Minister here, representing the HSE, wrote to the 221+ group and told them they would not get it. There is no joined-up thinking. The Minister might reflect on that. Why did that happen?

I refer to the Bernadette Kiely case, and I mention her name only because it is public, in the context of non-disclosure and the issues surrounding that. Representatives from RCOG will be before the committee next week but has the Minister initial concerns he would like to share with us? How does he feel when Lorraine Walsh, Stephen Teap, Vicky Phelan - people whom he knows well, as do I - say they have no confidence in the RCOG review? If these people do not have confidence based on what we publicly know, that is scary. Why in that review was there a default that anyone whose slides could not be found were sent concordant letters? Surely they should have been concordant and discordant, and a small number should have said there was something missing and a decision could not be made. That would have been logical. I refer to those who have serious concerns about the credibility of the review. I was not filled with encouragement last week when the college was unable to answer some basic questions. A small number of these women would like an independent assessment of their files. I am sure that will happen anyway, but unlike the now-resolved matter of the €2,000, can we please just deal with this now and give a positive answer to the question? I do not think there is a large number of women in this category who would voluntarily want to go down this route but there is a significant number. For the cost involved, the Minister should just do so. I ask that he consider that.