Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach cannot try to reduce the significance of this by saying it is just one item from the report. It was a key issue. The Minister for Health had agreed in the Dáil to a commission of inquiry. He came under pressure in the House and for whatever reason capitulated on that evening and said there would be a commission of inquiry. The Taoiseach followed suit. It was significant, therefore, that prior to the publication of the report a steer or spin occurred, the spin being that there was no need for a commission of inquiry. The cynical or sceptical might say that the last thing those in authority and the various stakeholders wanted was a commission of inquiry into this and, therefore, spun in that direction via the Scally report. That is one possibility. A significant element was leaked and I believe it was done for a specific reason, which was to undermine the case for a commission of inquiry. Whether one agrees or disagrees, the objective of the leak was to move away from the idea that there should be a commission of inquiry into the CervicalCheck issue. I speak as somebody who initially supported the Government regarding a Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, inquiry. However, under pressure on the floor of the House, the Minister caved in and said there would be a commission of inquiry. Ever since Dr. Scally has reported the emphasis has been on moving away from a commission of inquiry. That is the context.

Will the Taoiseach name the senior official who is investigating this? Can he give the official's details, rank and his Department? Third, the Taoiseach and I know that the media protect their sources. It is a little much to suggest, given the propensity of Ministers to leak regularly to various senior political correspondents and people across the board, that the Taoiseach is allegedly sincere in wanting them to cough up the source. That is breathtakingly cynical.

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