Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I acknowledge the Minister's reply and I want to stay in a positive vein. I welcome the Minister's reaffirmation of his and the Government's commitment to ensure that the excluded 35 women are to have their cases not only acknowledged, but also properly compensated. I recall that we shared a platform on 25 January 2011 along with the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, when a commitment was made. That was reiterated in the programme for Government and the Minister has made it again in a meeting with representatives of Patient Focus and some of the women who were subjected to some of the terrible atrocities carried out by Mr. Michael Neary in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. I understand that arising from that there was an expectation of an ongoing engagement and a letter was sent to the legal representative for the women on 3 November which stated that proposals had been formulated by the Department. That was a particularly straight statement and the Minister's response indicates his proposals are at an advanced stage. I ask him to clarify the position.

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