Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)

We have now reached a point where people have lost confidence in the system of delivering cancer care. That people's confidence in the system has been shaken to its foundations is putting it mildly. That thousands of women who are at risk of breast cancer face a cloud of uncertainty is a sad indictment of the Government. That a committee of this House was informed by the HSE that 97 women would have to be recalled for tests before the women themselves were informed speaks volumes. That these women had not been contacted personally within 24 hours is nothing short of a scandal.

When Dr. Peter Naughton told the Minister in 2005 that breast cancer services at Portlaoise were a shambles, did she listen to his concerns? Yes, she did. Did she act in a manner that was reflective of her position as Minister for Health and Children? The answer is "No".

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