Dr. Colm Henry:

Earlier we were asked similar questions. We became aware last night of Dr. Flannelly's written statement and advice. I am taking that at face value. To my knowledge no other advice was sought or given by the HSE apart from the advice Dr. Flannelly states she gave last night. While we are correctly focusing on the backlog now, at that time there was a lot of public anxiety and it is easy to forget that. Women were very concerned. There was a great deal of misinformation and mischaracterisation of this crisis and there was a danger of a collapse in confidence in the screening programme, which has saved lives over the years. It is not for me to say how a decision was made because I do not know but I remember very well the concern that our phone lines were oversubscribed by people seeking advice and reassurance and general practitioners around the country were facing women who were similarly very concerned.

This concern was reflected in the media and at political level, including the Committee of Public Accounts here where we faced questions about a crisis of confidence. It was in that context.