Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I would like to take this opportunity to put on the Dáil record my absolute admiration for Ms Vicky Phelan for her courage and conviction in not signing the gagging order that would undoubtedly have left the women of Ireland in darkness for perhaps another decade, with women unnecessarily going without treatment and, worse, dying. The cervical screening scandal is a national disgrace in which, yet again, the women of the country have been failed on their most fundamental right, namely, the right to proper health care.

I welcome the appointment of Dr. Scally to head up the scoping inquiry. It is critical that the women affected by the scandal receive answers quickly as to what happened and why it happened, and that we see accountability.

Our national CervicalCheck programme is very important. One of the most important jobs of the Government is to begin to restore confidence. Consideration should be given to the examination of our other national screening programmes to allay the fears of people who have been deeply disturbed by the revelations of the past 14 days.

In the Minister's programme for Government, there is a commitment to providing better healthcare but in Cavan General Hospital, particularly the emergency department, there is an absolute need for investment. My colleague, Deputy Brendan Smith, just mentioned that need. The unit needs to be expanded to deal with the overcrowding. There are ten examination cubicles that are not adequate to deal with the approximately 32,000 patients who attend each year.

An issue arises over waiting times for young people and adolescents. The assessment of need is one of the critical issues. Parents are being told they have three years for the initial step in dealing with what they may need in terms of occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy. The Minister has to make the officials accountable. I ask him to do so.

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