Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

In everything I have done since I became the Minister for Health and Children, I have put patients first. Tonight, I apologise to the patients of the former Midland Health Board, particularly those at Portlaoise Hospital. I apologise for the anguish and distress caused. I want in particular to apologise to the nine women whose treatment was delayed as a result of misdiagnoses. I want to apologise to those women, who last Thursday first heard on the airwaves that there was an issue relating to ultrasound diagnosis. That should never have happened and it will not happen again. I have ensured that from here on in, patients will hear directly from the HSE before ever hearing it on the airwaves.

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