Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)

All Members who have listened to this debate on symphysiotomy, and the excessive pain suffered by women as a result, have described it as a barbaric procedure. Many of us who met the women who underwent this procedure have learned how their lives were affected and shaped subsequently. Listening to their stories, many of us have been shocked. There have been very few occasions when I have attended presentations in the Leinster House audio-visual room where noticeably people in the audience were moved to tears on what they had heard. I commend the individuals who have fought this campaign through thick and thin. It is not easy for people to discuss their personal lives and what was done to them in such a manner. It takes great courage to do so and I commend the individuals involved.

What sets aside symphysiotomy from other invasive medical procedures is not just its brutal nature but that it is completely avoidable. Alternative treatments could and should have been used. There was no justification for the procedure then and neither is there any justification for the perpetuation of the injustice experienced by these women now. This procedure was performed on approximately 1,500 women, many from my constituency who attended the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, a hospital that continued with this procedure up to modern times long after all others had ceased. This again raises an issue about the clinical governance at this hospital through this period.

These operations were undertaken because of a narrow interpretation of a religious ideology and no consideration was given to the views of the mothers. No alternatives were offered or explanations given of the long-term effect of the procedure. Nowhere was the informed consent of the women who underwent this procedure sought. These women entered the care of the State as expectant mothers and left as injured victims.

While for many these events are historical, the outcomes are very much sadly in the present. We still have very brave women who carry the scars of this procedure and have been forced to campaign for justice. No one in this Administration is going as far as they should to hold the individuals to account for what happened to these women. It is true the damage cannot be undone. However, these women are entitled to justice. It is in the Government's gift to recognise that what happened in the past in the name of the State was wrong.

It is also in the gift of the Government to extend the Statute of Limitations to allow these cases to be dealt with and to make public the report on this situation. As the Opposition, it is our job to hold the Government to account. While we may have a different vision, political philosophy and policies to those of the Government, I believe there is a common decency that we all share. It underlines a common morality of what is right and wrong. The Government knows what needs to be done for these women.

In the past they were victims because a system prioritised other considerations above their rights as citizens and mothers. Let us not repeat that mistake. Let us not put legal or financial considerations before ending this injustice. We must finally do the right thing by these women.

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