Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We have heard similar words previously. The Tánaiste said the same a month ago after I brought this to his attention. I do not know what the Government did after that. Did the Government speak to CervicalCheck and ask why, when it had been arranged for a woman's records to be in Limerick in order that a court case that needed to be taken within a short window could be taken, her legal representatives were told that they could not have access to the records and were escorted from the premises after being told to leave? Over the past four weeks, other legal representatives have faced the same barrier. As I walked from my office to the Chamber, another legal representative was speaking on "Liveline" about how they were being stonewalled by the HSE, how they were not getting access to information and how, despite the laboratory saying that it has the test, it will not provide it. Yet the Taoiseach says that the Government's policy is that there should be no undue delay. However, there is a delay. What will he do about it? The Taoiseach is not an innocent bystander; he is the leader of the Government. This is a terrible scandal that we have raised here week in, week out, yet women are still unable to access their medical records. As Dr. Scally mentioned in his report, the women's sentiment can be summed up as, "My body, my records". As he said, I could not agree more.

The Taoiseach needs to intervene, as does the Minister for Health, because this cannot go on. Compassion and urgency must be shown, and these records must be provided immediately to any of the women who request them. This should have happened weeks ago. It is not acceptable that we are still discussing this four weeks later.

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