Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

There are many questions that are not answered by the Taoiseach but obviously the single biggest question is, how this could have gone on for 24 years. While we certainly owe a great debt to the author of this report for the manner in which complex material is handled and the substantial and insightful recommendations that are made, the fact remains that were it not for the bravery and courage of a single midwife, Dr. Neary could still be mutilating women today. With all of the medical bodies, all of the self-regulation and the supervision of the Department of Health and Children etc., people outside will find it difficult to understand that this could have happened.

On the more than 24 years of what the author states was a truly shocking rate of unnecessary hysterectomies, the Taoiseach made a passing reference to the matron who protested in 1978 and who was dismissed "by gesture". It took 20 years — until 1998 — for a midwife, in the course of an interview with the legal representative of the health board about something else, to draw attention to this and it would appear from a first reading of the report that the health board acted promptly. However, Dr. Neary was allowed to select the nine cases that would be the subject of the peer review and the three obstetricians in Dublin found his conduct was flawless. That seems mind-boggling to the average citizen. Peer review is driven by data. No data was furnished by this man. He seemed to have the final say on matters like that. Nobody from the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists ever asked him why the normal data that ought to have been submitted was not submitted. When this midwife took action, the health board responded and a peer review was established, he was allowed to select the cases and three obstetricians stated it was okay.

See this speech in context