Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising these issues. He is right to ensure that everything that has been promised is properly followed through on. I have also spoken to women who were part of the 209. The stories that I have heard are that meetings have taken place and that the conversations with the HSE and social workers involved have been positive. If there are cases that the Deputy is hearing about where that is not the case, we need to hear about them and fix that. The Department of Health and the Government are determined to prioritise support for women who are in this difficult, exposed and pressurised situation. We made a clear decision that the HSE would assign social workers, that in each case, there would be proper co-ordination and reach-out from the HSE as opposed to it expecting victims and patients to reach out to the HSE, that people would be met in their homes and that there would be tailored packages of supports, whether discretionary medical cards, out of pocket expenses or counselling for both individuals concerned and their broader families so that we can help people to cope with the stress and trauma over the last five weeks since the scandal broke. That is the intention and determination of the Government. I understand that those conversations are happening and that the co-ordination and commitment made by Government is being followed through by the HSE. If there are cases or parts of the country where that is not the case, we need to hear about them so we can prioritise a response.

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