Ms Deirdre Courtney:

I sincerely thank members for allowing me to address them. They will have had the opportunity to read my statement. I am here to inform the committee of how difficult it was for my husband, Brendan, who is with me today, and I to go through the legal process and how difficult it is for other families to do so also.

The current system is clearly not working well. There is an emotional cost for families, notwithstanding the financial cost to the State when it insists on going as far as the steps of the court before it concedes. The position in this regard must change. No family should have to go through this horrendous process which is lengthy and intrusive. Up until the day on which the final settlement is reached, there is a huge elephant in the room for every family. If legislation which compelled doctors to answer questions and provide honest and truthful explanations for individuals and families with queries was enacted, this would surely be the right thing to do. I understand no doctor gets out of bed in the morning intent on making a mistake. However, mistakes are made and it should be incumbent on the medical profession to come clean and be truthful, open and honest. Those involved in the profession should not be afraid to be any of these things.

When we made our first foray into the High Court on behalf of our daughter, Bríd, we were obliged in advance to bring her to see 27 professionals who were going to be acting as witnesses.