Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I have many questions but little time. The audit was suspended. Will the Minister tell me the position on that and the implications of the suspension of that audit?

Regarding the foreword addressed to the Minister in the form of a letter, Dr. Scally asks for an independent monitoring of his 50 recommendations. I do not see the Minister addressing that. He talked about implementing them. He gives specific timeframes of three months and six months. I would like the Minister to confirm that is precisely what he will do because we have been down this road before where Kevin Toland and his team offered to monitor independently the implementation of the recommendations in respect of the Department of Justice and Equality and he was not taken up on it.

According to Dr. Scally, the cost of the cervical screening test is €23.9 million. That is all. There is an extra sum in respect of the hospitals. Will the Minister tell me now what is the cost so far of the consequences of the failure to give information to the women? What are the legal costs and the awards to date in terms of the number of women who have managed to get through the labyrinth of the Courts Service? What does the Minister believe the final cost will be compared with €23.9 million to roll out a service? Would it not have been much cheaper to have complied with the open disclosure policy and ensured it was in place at every level? Will the Minister confirm for me the audit and in regard to the recommendations?

What system is used for sending out these samples to the various companies, including the Coombe Hospital? Is there a public private distinction? Is there a public private patient distinction or a public private hospital distinction? How is it decided which hospital or which laboratory is chosen?

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