Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am thankful for the opportunity to raise this issue. I thank the Minister for being in the Chamber for this debate. He has recently returned from Vilnius and I hope his journey home was comfortable.

I have been raising this issue with Deputy Brendan Ryan and Deputy Gerald Nash, since the Government was formed two and half years ago. We tabled parliamentary questions, had Topical Issue debates and requested meetings with the office of the Minister. As Deputy Ryan stated, we have been receiving the same answer for two and a half years. While all this has been happening, there are still 35 women who are waiting to find out whether they will receive the redress that they deserve and to which they are entitled. We feel the women deserve better than what they are getting.

My office spoke to the advocacy group Patient Focus this morning. It is very concerned about the response that the Taoiseach gave in this House on this issue. The group's concern, based on his answer, is that the commitment to publish the Walsh report along with a credible plan to include the 35 women within the redress scheme will not now be met before the end of next week, when the House is to rise. To quote the Taoiseach from this morning, "Given the time constraints on us between now and the summer recess, I will see what can be done.” The Minister knows very well from his involvement in this issue that we made a commitment in the programme for Government to compensate the 35 women. We did so with open eyes. In March, the Department made a commitment to have answers for the women by the end of next week. Like Deputy Ryan, I ask the Minister to give us a commitment to bring the Walsh report before the Cabinet on Tuesday and publish it along with the plans to include the excluded women in the redress scheme by the end of next week. I hope he will be able to do that. It is expected that he can make this happen. He is very concerned about the matter and very committed. We need to see him deliver on it now.

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