Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

It is important to commend the bravery and determination of Vicky Phelan and the other women involved. Without their courage, we would probably be blissfully ignorant of this scandal. I welcome the Scally report and its 50 recommendations and hope those recommendations will be implemented immediately. I also welcome the certainty of mandatory open disclosure.

Dr. Scally rightly highlights the outrageous treatment of women by their doctors and correctly states that the doctors involved should apologise to the women involved. That must happen. We also need accountability for this debacle. I have no doubt that we need a full public inquiry that can compel witnesses and documentation. Without such an inquiry, senior management, Ministers, Secretaries General and chief medical officers will be able to avoid having to take responsibility for what has happened. Without such an inquiry, having to make fundamental changes to the health governance model can also be avoided. I believe this model is at the root of this scandal. It would also mean that there would be no investigation of the highly problematic outsourcing of these tests, which is a very important point. Without such an inquiry, similar outrages and scandals will happen in the future. Such an inquiry is necessary and should be set up forthwith.

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