Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes. That is right. I have had lengthy discussions with the Department on this. It does not fit neatly with this Bill. The serious patient safety issues which result in death or serious harm are very clear. They are binary, for example, where someone had something done to them in an operation which should not have been done or whatever it might be. As the Deputy said, legislating around delayed diagnosis screening support is complex. It does not fit neatly in this Bill. However, my view, and I imagine it is one we all share, is that the non-disclosure that happened in CervicalCheck, even though it does not neatly fit here, should still be legislated for. I have asked the Department to find a way to do that. Extensive work has been done already and very extensive work is going on now.

In response to Deputy Cullinane's point, I will share the thinking I have on this with the committee. It is something of an add-on, to be honest. It does not fit with the framework we have here. This is our opportunity to make sure we are very clear under law that the element of non-disclosure that happened in CervicalCheck will now be covered under legislation.