Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

What I am getting at is very clear and I think the Minister knows I am into the detail. I accept that some of the women concerned could have had false negatives. Some could have issues related to the laboratories about which we do not yet know because we do not know about percentages in the RCOG review. The issue is whether the Minister can guarantee that no woman's health has been affected because of the lack of prioritisation in a triage setting.

I have been contacted by some people who have deep concerns that this delay, possibly combined with other issues, has put their medical situation in a far worse position than it should be. This is a big problem for the Minister. A second tranche of women being affected could also have a financial impact on the State. I need an assurance from the Minister today. Given what I said at committee meetings in November, given the fact we now know of the 1,000 cases where the slides must be redone, and I understand the distinction between these and the 6,000 cases, and given the situation we know about with regard to false negatives, and we do not know the full details of potential issues with laboratories, is the Minister able to guarantee the delay has not had a negative impact on the health of these women?

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