Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)

I strongly support the motion before us this evening and congratulate Deputy Reilly on bringing it forward for debate.

I listened to the Minister's contribution last evening when trying to justify her position. I listened to her make yet another apology to this House. The most disturbing part of the latest health scandal is that of equipment failure. Machines that were supposed to be doing a job were not capable of doing the job. In the case of Ms Melissa Redmond, the ultrasound machine used for the second diagnosis had been showing signs of sub-optimal functioning and was not producing pictures with adequate contrast, to be reliable in early pregnancy diagnosis, yet the machine was not replaced. Six months after Melissa Redmond's false scan, the faulty machine was still in use. This mistake was compounded as the wrong diagnosis was not confirmed by a trained ultrasonographer.

The issue of miscarriage is a most difficult subject to address. Nobody wants to give false hope to a woman who is really having a miscarriage. Nobody wants to give false hope to a woman who is advised to undergo a D&C procedure or other procedures. It is clear from the 12 brave women, who have come out publicly about their experience of miscarriage misdiagnosis, that an accurate diagnosis of pregnancy, particularly in the early stages, takes longer in some women than others. Uncertainty about dates has a huge impact on what the tests mean and what the ultrasound images are supposed to show.

There can be no excuse for the failure of the HSE and the Government to invest in proper equipment in our hospitals. There can be no excuse for the failure of the Minister to take direct action on the miscarriage scandal and to alleviate the genuine concerns of many families facing trauma of having their case reviewed. What we got from the Minister last night was the usual public washing of her hands together with the self-congratulations of the counter Government motion.

It is simply incredible that the Minister would not take on board the proposals put forward in this motion. What argument could any reasonable person make against the need for an urgent audit by HIQA of maternity services in light of what has gone on in this country? What argument can be made against checking the standard and safety of equipment? What argument can be made against examining staff workloads, care protocols and training of personnel? What argument can be made against the reasonable suggestion that a dedicated independent patient safety authority be established?

The Minister cannot merely sweep this serious issue under the carpet. Trust in the HSE and the Department of Health and Children has yet again been shattered by a misdiagnosis scandal. Acceptance of this Fine Gael motion will go some way to ensuring that the mistakes of the past are not repeated again. That is the least the Minister owes to the children who survived these misdiagnoses in spite of the shocking failures of the systems that are in place.

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