Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Minister has refused to answer my questions. I asked very specific questions but he has not answered them. I will say it straight that if the Government does not deal with this matter soon, the lifetime of this Dáil will be shortened considerably. This is a scandal and the Government is not on top of it in any way, shape or form. Members of this House have more knowledge of some of these matters than members of the Government who are responsible for this.

The decision of the Dáil was to give Dr. Scally this inquiry and that he would report by the end of June. That has unilaterally been changed by the Government and not the Dáil. We really need something that is scoped, with key decisions and terms of reference needed by a commission of inquiry. What is being outlined here will go on an inordinate amount of time and, unfortunately, women will pass away while that is happening. They want answers and guidance. They want to know the facts. This will not come back by the end of August. It will hardly come back by the end of this year if it continues going this way. It has gone beyond what was the idea of this Dáil. I can see that. Women will need to tell their stories but first they need the facts to come out. It is not what will happen. I ask the Minister, who has refused to answer my questions, to go back to the Minister for Health and put my questions to him.

See this speech in context