Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the delegates for their attendance. I cannot but feel a lack of confidence. When I listen to language such as they "manage our communications" and are engaging in "dialogue with the market" and that there is "pre-market engagement" and that there is no tendering process under way for HPV testing, there is a disconnect between Mr. McCallion's work and the 80,000 women who are affected by the backlog. Mr. McCallion's work to date has not been adequate in dealing with the backlog. It has been completely unsatisfactory. There are women who have now been waiting for up to eight months for a repeat smear test result. They were seeking reassurance which they felt they needed in the context of the entire scandal in which women have lost their lives. There has been a focus on the women involved getting their results back within a reasonable time. Most are not getting them back within a reasonable time.

I can talk to Mr. McCallion about my own case. I am only one of the 80,000 women involved. Last October I presented for a reassurance test.

I am still waiting. I have a particular history and I should not be waiting. I got a letter in January inviting me for my routine smear test. Having already been in the system and not having got my results back, the HSE sent me another letter in January telling me to come in for my routine smear. Answer that question. Is the HSE still writing to women in the backlog asking them to come back in because it has not cross-checked these women? That would probably add to the backlog.

Mr. McCallion and his colleagues can probably tell from my tone that there is a huge amount of anger out there. News broke of Ms Laura Brennan passing away and God rest her - I send my sympathies to her family - but every one of those 80,000 women would have felt anxiety and stress listening to the story while still not having results. The witnesses have indicated that two of the three labs have improved their times but which lab has not? I assume it is MedLab, which is dealing with people in rural Ireland. They are the people I represent. The samples from people outside the cities go to that lab and they are looking at an eight-month wait. Nothing has happened to address that.

The suggestion by the Chairman, Dr. Harty, needs to be given serious consideration. Why on earth would the HSE write to women already in the system to come in for a smear test today knowing it will not have results for them for eight months? Why would it do so? It is utter madness. If the executive delayed sending those letters, it would not block women coming into the system. If somebody comes in for the first time to get their first smear test, they are brought into the system. If a woman is already in the system, there is merit in seriously considering delaying the sending of that letter for three, four or maybe five months in order to deal with the backlog. If a woman comes in today anyway, she will have to wait eight months. If the letter is delayed for three, four or five months and the test is done at that stage, the results will be received around the same time anyway, but at least there would not be extra stress and anxiety. The HSE might get to grips with the utter mess it is currently dealing with.

I listened to Dr. Doherty earlier defending the decision of the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, to offer that repeat smear test when he knew there were no resources for it. We know he had clinical advice not to do it. He has tried to discredit my questioning and the questioning of others around it. He can say he did not have that advice but we know he did. There is the suggestion that simply because the Minister is under pressure and things are difficult or challenging, it is justification for a bad decision that ultimately harms the health of women and undermines the screening programme, but I utterly disagree with that. It is wrong. When asked about the HPV screening that will be implemented, Dr. Doherty said it would have to be driven by evidence and it must be safe. The Minister's decision was not driven by evidence and it was not safe. Just an hour ago she defended his statement but she has justified the lack of implementation of a new screening programme for that reason. There is a lack of credibility in that.

I ask Mr. McCallion and his team to demonstrate leadership. We have a serious mess and many women are seriously upset, worried and anxious. This is being compounded by the lack of leadership and decisions in dealing with this backlog. I want serious consideration to be given not to stopping the programme but to delaying the numbers coming in at their current rate. At that current rate, we will be five or ten years clearing that backlog and other women will not benefit from the new screening programme that was supposed to be implemented last year, by the way. There is absolutely no confidence that it will be implemented early next year, whatever early next year even means. We need real timelines and a decision from Mr. McCallion and his team. The response of "I was not there when it happened" does not cut the mustard. Mr. McCallion is there now. The decision that was taken was wrong and he must now tell us what he, as the lead, will do to fix this and the backlog. We need a decision. The suggestion from the Chairman, Dr. Harty, is supported by me as somebody in the system. That delay must be given serious consideration as it is the only way to deal with the backlog. As has been said to Deputy Bríd Smith, the capacity is not there and it will not magically appear in the next number of months. I am not at all satisfied with the responses given to the committee this morning. I thank the Chairman for his indulgence.