James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

A simple nod would do. If she accepts his report, does she accept that his contention that if the urgency shown after 22 November was shown before that date, then much of the hardship inflicted on patients would have been avoided? Surely this criticism about a lack of urgency also applies to the Minister. Does she believe she did everything she could after August and before 22 November, and therefore has no culpability in the matter?

The Minister has a great knowledge of the private sector. Does she find it reasonable that a report showing such deficits in communication and management can find nobody responsible? If this was a private company, what would her shareholders say? A leading businessman gave us an answer during the week. Is the Minister still impressed with the HSE, as she told the health committee?

Deputy Ó Caoláin referred to an article in yesterday's edition of The Irish Times, which obviously the Minister thinks is incorrect. It stated that the Department of Health and Children held high level discussions about the future of the HSE prior to the publication of these reports on the Portlaoise breast cancer debacle. It went on to state that consideration was given to a radical restructuring of the struggling national health authority that would have involved at least a partial return to the regionalisation of health services in the State. That does not mean a return to the health boards.

Where are all the other reports to which the Minister alluded? When will we get them? Will we get a truly independent investigation into Mr. Peter Naughton's letter and how it is not on the Department's files? The Minister alluded this morning to electronic receipts and so on, but that does not answer the question as to how the letter sent is not on the file. The computer shows that it did not appear on the file, but it does not tell us how that happened. We need to know that as our democracy demands it. Will there be a proper independent investigation into all matters relating to the Portlaoise debacle and the manner in which women were affected? It should cover the period from 2000 to 2008 and examine the role of Ministers, the Department of Health and Children, the HSE and the health boards, rather than this little investigation into the period from August to November 2007. The problems stem from a long time before that.

Has the Minister any more to say to the House about her misleading statement to the health committee meeting last week, when she stated that Professor Keane had agreed a new method of referring patients for breast diagnosis with the IGCP? That clearly is not the case and I have checked the facts on this and put them on record. How will the appointment of a protocol manager improve the treatment of patients? People want improvement in treatment. This main plank of the Minister's response seems to focus on how to limit damage to the system, rather than protect and care for the patient. Worryingly, nothing seems to have changed.

See this speech in context