Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I assure the Deputy that I do not think it is acceptable that I am coming into the House to address it on such an important matter and that I am hearing this information only moments before coming into it and hoping I have enough time to explain to it, factually, what I have been told.

If I had more detail, Deputy O'Reilly would have it right now. I provided my best indication of the detail during my exchange with Deputy Donnelly. Having just checked the matter with my officials, I can inform the House that the correspondence from Dr. Jerome Coffey was dated 11 April. The Department first became aware of the matter on 6 April and I have been informed by my officials that Dr. Coffey made the comments referenced in my note on 11 April. The Deputy has suggested that the fact that I received this by means of email shows that it is important. She should see the volume of emails I get from officials through my private secretary each day. If something is viewed as very important or very urgent, it is usually followed by a phone call, a face-to-face briefing or a formal submission to the Minister. I read this information note when it was sent to me. I would read it in a very different context now. I read it thousands of times over the weekend. I thought "if I knew then what I know now", but I did not know that then. I read it in the context of what I knew then. I read it as an individual case. I read it as a situation in which doctors and women had been informed, but it is clear now that this was not the case. The moment I became aware that this was not the case, I took very swift action. I think I have answered the Deputy's questions.

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