James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

Like the previous speaker, I wish to include my party colleagues who have been deeply concerned about this matter, in particular Deputies Fergus O'Dowd, Damien English and Shane McEntee.

This is a serious and important issue. By dint of a very arbitrary decision, people just a few days over their fortieth birthday when they had these terrible injuries inflicted unnecessarily on them - very often bringing on early menopause and all the distress that causes - are being excluded from a redress scheme to compensate women for the harm this State did to them through its agents in the Lourdes hospital, in particular by a man I must acknowledge as a colleague who is a disgrace to my profession.

I will be very simple and plain tonight. We are here as a cross-party group – I thank the Minister of State for coming in – to ask the Minister to include these women in the scheme. The harm done to them is every bit as great as that done to others a few days younger than them who are entitled to redress. This is wrong and clearly does not serve natural justice; it is something nobody in this House is particularly happy about. I acknowledge the fact that Members on the Government side are nodding their heads in agreement and I thank them for their support in this regard.

This has always been a cross-party group seeking justice for this very small group of women who have been so badly harmed and wronged. We do not want it to be a political issue. We have tried to help the Minister in every way possible to overcome any obstacles in the way of including these women.

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