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

First, I wish to say again that if it was not for Vicky Phelan we would know nothing about any of this. Given all the documentation that has emerged through the various committees of this House, both the Committee of Public Accounts and the Joint Committee on Health, and that has come into the public domain, it is quite an extraordinary fact that if it was not for Vicky Phelan's decision to reject any suggestion of non-disclosure of her settlement, we would not be here discussing this matter. That needs to be reflected on regarding the health of our public services in terms of disclosure and revealing issues of public interest, in particular ensuring disclosure to patients generally in our health service and, in this context, to women who were the victims of non-disclosure of false negatives and wrong results in terms of cervical cancer.

What I find quite striking is the very significant degree of correspondence between doctors, people in CervicalCheck and chief executive officers, CEOs, such as the CEO of the mid-western health group, the numbers of people involved in the Department of Health, HSE leadership and CervicalCheck itself yet it did not get to any policy level in terms of someone shouting "stop" and saying that we have a clear policy of open disclosure here and should disclose to the women concerned. During Leaders' Questions last week, the Taoiseach told me he had regular discussions with the director of health and well-being, Dr. Stephanie O'Keeffe. Was the CervicalCheck programme in general raised with him? Were any issues relating to difficulties, challenges or needs involving CervicalCheck raised with him in terms of its ongoing progress? The Taoiseach might indicate to the House whether any such issues were raised with him at any time.

It is extraordinary that after the former Minister, Senator James Reilly, abolished the board of the HSE, it has taken so long to restore it to ensure some degree of governance and accountability on the part of the director to a board nominated externally and not just officials being accountable to officials, which is the current position. I do not know what the former Minister, Senator Reilly, was at.

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