Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I asked the Taoiseach the serious question of whether or not he agreed that the Minister for Health had made a serious error in facilitating and consenting in writing to the director general of the HSE serving on a board of a company and he studiously avoided dealing with it. I would like an answer from the Taoiseach, first, on whether he believes the Minister made the correct decision in consenting to this and, second, if he thinks Mr. O'Brien's position on that board is reconcilable with his being a director general of the HSE, with all the inevitable potential conflict of interests that arise from such membership of that board, the personnel involved and so forth?

I put it to the Taoiseach that confidence in the cervical cancer screening programme has been undermined by the drip, drip feed of information and shocking new revelations. I do not think anyone on this side of the House could accuse the Taoiseach of acting in haste; the opposite is the case. I agree with Vicky Phelan that no one seems to be leading on this issue. There is no calm authority getting to grips with this crisis, and there has not been for the last two weeks, unfortunately. The only way we can get confidence in the cervical cancer screening programme is to exercise such authority and make clear decisions. I welcome the peer review of the cytology tests and so on but the Government needs to make clear decisions and to operate on the basis of being totally in charge of this issue, such that it is not going in all directions, as it was over the last two weeks. We need to get to grips with this issue.

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