Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)

When the social history of this country comes to be written by future generations, it will ignore the incessant roar of the Celtic tiger to reveal that we are living through a tragic period with a number of health crises that have especially affected women, of which the report by Judge Harding Clark is the latest manifestation. That is something for which the political system and, in particular, the apparatus of Government bear collective responsibility. We are living through a time in which we have failed to deal with the power hierarchies of our medical systems. The division of that power among different classes of medical practitioners has percolated down through the system with the result that patients are treated as statistics and are not involved in real consultation on the natures of their conditions or understanding, as in this case, of what has been done to them.

Judge Harding Clark's comprehensive report answers some of our questions on the tragedies arising from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. It tells us how, what and when but it does not and probably cannot tell us why. The report's introduction describes Dr. Neary as a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde character and suggests reasons for his actions in terms of his personal history and a possible dislike of women, while also pointing out that he may have held his hospital unit together over a long period. While we may never find out the ultimate reason for these events, we can certainly learn from them and ensure they are never repeated.

The Government seems to have learned from previous health crises the need to properly provide for redress. This House needs to see that redress is dealt with promptly and without complications. The women whose files were stolen should be treated sympathetically and the State should not put up barriers to their redress. Ultimately, if we are to be of service to the women concerned and their families, we should accept our collective responsibility in ensuring such incidents are not repeated.

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