Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge progress has been made on this issue and that work is being done. I know the Minister of State would be aware of the scale of the problem. Some of the women impacted by this are in the Visitors Gallery and are watching the proceedings here.

We welcome the publication of the report. The women's voices are present throughout the report but that is coming from a fairly low base because there were not very many face-to-face interviews. We would like to see more of the women's stories reflected in that report. I acknowledge that the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, has met the women. Before we went into the meeting, we had a very frank exchange and they had a very frank exchange with the Minister. It is not easy to talk about some of these issues. I raised them at Leader's Questions and know it is a difficult subject. It is a credit to the women that they put forward their own cases, along with Melanie their representative, in a very coherent manner. They rarely use euphemisms which is welcome. We are all adults after all but we acknowledge this is a difficult topic.

We know that the scanners are coming but by what date? It is impossible for many of the women to gauge the level of the problem and to know the best course of treatment. Is there a co-operation agreement in place or can one be put in place for use of the scanner that will be installed in Belfast? In that way at the very least we might have access to that scanner. Will the women be afforded access to the treatment abroad scheme? I know that is a tricky area. I know the rules and that the Minister of State knows about this issue not only from this debate but from constituency cases.

We have learnt from the report that the governance mechanisms were not in place at national level. Only yesterday The Guardiancovered this story and said that mesh implants made by one of the biggest pharmaceutical firms in the world were inserted despite the company being warned that the mesh could shrink and harden. I met a woman today whose implant was inserted only six months ago. I asked previously for the suspension of its use and it has been paused but this was in use until very recently. We want to see action on all the clinical and technical issues associated with the use of mesh as a matter of urgency because while there are some women in the Gallery there are many more at home because they cannot travel, and more come forward every day of the week to tell their stories and to seek help.

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