Dáil debates

Tuesday, 1 May 2018

National Cervical Screening Programme: Statements

 

8:55 pm

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for that. I will move on to the second question shortly, which is around actions to date, but to come back to the issue of the current level of fear, I ask the Minister to consider any other possible measures that could be taken in terms of public communications tonight, tomorrow or in the coming days. I am very happy to offer Fianna Fáil's support or co-operation if it is of any use, but I believe there needs to be clearer communication in terms of the exact points we are discussing now because, strange as we may find it, not everyone in the country is listening to the Dáil debates. There is a need for further clear public communication and reassurance on the points raised this evening.

The second set of questions I want to ask the Minister are about his response to the note he received. Political accusations are being thrown around the Chamber, some of which are unseemly given what we are dealing with. I am not asking these questions to score political points. I am asking these questions because it is our constitutional role to hold the Minister to account, and we need to know what happened from his perspective when he got the note. The note references non-disclosures, the screening errors and that publicity is likely. I acknowledge there was nothing in the note to tell the Minister that there were numerous cases and that there was a much bigger issue coming down. That was not in the note, but I put it to him that there were several things in the note which could reasonably have led him to ask more questions, and maybe he did that. My question is: further to the note, did the Minister make further inquiries as to the scale of this? On Vicky Phelan's lawyer's charge, did he seek advice as to whether the State Claims Agency should be instructed to pull back from the situation? Did he start to put in place any of the responses that it appears from this side of the House only began to be considered from Thursday morning?

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