Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This is a hugely important issue. As we all know, the CervicalCheck scandal that broke last year did huge damage to our confidence in the health system in this country. Specifically, I want answers to the following matters. At the time of the response by the Government to this issue, we found out that the Minister had established a review of all the slides of women who had cervical cancer by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, RCOG. That review was to be concluded by May but it was not as it was not commenced. The Taoiseach said in the Dáil in July that he was very disappointed it had not been commenced. That was six months ago. It was then meant to be concluded before the Scally report issued. That did not happen either. We know now, as of this week, that the Minister for Health has said that the slides are being transferred and the review should be concluded within six months. That will be well over a year. I do not believe it will be concluded even this year.

There are real issues here. In all these cases the women are waiting to find out if they have issues to deal with and, in particular, if there is negligence. It is not acceptable that these timelines are so far out. It will be the end of this year possibly, and it might not even get done this year. That is not acceptable to Ms Vicky Phelan and to the 221 women and families affected.

Furthermore, the tribunal, which was to be set up after Mr. Justice Meenan's review, will possibly not be set up and be in place this year. We have all the legislation on Brexit and on other matters, and which is complicated legislation. However, that tribunal will not be in place and operating until 2020.

Let us not beat around the bush on this matter. I will 100% guarantee the Minister of State that a number of women will end up in the High Court and will have to give the details of their situation in the same way in which the late Emma Mhic Mhathúna and Vicky Phelan and others had to do and it will happen very soon because the Government has not honoured its commitments to ensure these women would not have to go through that ordeal. I guarantee that this will happen. People will come in here and will ask the Government questions, as will the media, because it is scandalous.

I know of one woman who will be going through this process in the coming weeks and she and her family are terrified of it. This woman should not have to go to the High Court. She does not want to do so and wants to avail of this tribunal. It is not acceptable that she should be put through this, given the situation she finds herself in.

What is the status of the slides for the 221 women affected? This has also been delayed for a long time. We have no idea of the outcomes. Why is there such a delay with this? These are the priorities, and the ones we know about. This is outside of the National Cancer Registry and the review that is being done by RCOG. Why have we not got this information yet? There needs to be a reprioritisation of this issue otherwise there is going to be a huge wake-up call for the Minister of State's Government because the public is still focused on it and it supports the women and the families affected. This issue is not being prioritised by this Government. It has gone off the priority radar. I have given the Minister of State two examples - Mr. Justice Meenan's tribunal and the RCOG review. In both cases, they are essentially a year behind schedule.

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