Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

I will speak to the amendment and the Minister. Sadly, since publication of the three reports last week, nothing I have heard today or from the Government gives me great confidence that anything will change greatly or that the Minister is not presiding over a health system in which similar incidents to those that happened in Portlaoise could be happening or may happen in the future. I state this with sadness because when I heard her apology which I welcomed, I thought there would be genuine learning from the experience of what had transpired at Portlaoise. However, I cannot discern any evidence that this has happened. Each section of the Government motion starts with phrases such as "welcomes the publication", "supports the actions", "reiterates its support", "expresses its appreciation for", "welcomes the improvements" and "commends the early progress". This does not suggest the Government is learning anything from the debacle that took place at Portlaoise or the appalling act done to the nine women who received an incorrect diagnosis and, therefore, did not have early detection of their cancer. It is as though the ranks are closing again. Nothing will be learned and we will continue as before.

Sadly, I do not have confidence that we will see real changes in cancer services by the time Professor Keane returns to Canada or, on the broader issue, any real change to the way the HSE operates or the Minister runs the health services. One of the victims of the health services, Rebecca O'Malley, stated there was no culture of learning among the Department, the Minister or the HSE. Unfortunately, that is the situation we have to face but I hope today's debate will be positive in terms of giving rise to some sort of culture of learning. However, while I also hope the Minister will genuinely attempt to introduce reform, she will have to take responsibility if she is to be successful.

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