Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister cuts a lonely figure in the Chamber. Not one backbencher in his party or member of the Independent Alliance which is keeping the Government in power is present to support him. There are five Ministers in the Department of Health. Where are the other four?

I have nothing personal against the Minister. I congratulate and compliment him and his wife on their new baby and wish them well, but will he ever look in a mirror or at his conscience, if he has one, and resign? It is shocking that he is presiding over such an appalling vista of catastrophes. As Minister for Health, he should be wearing inflatable armbands, given how he is so obviously out of his depth on this and a host of other issues. He is swimming against the tide. Anyone else would be gone. If he had any conscience, he would go under and let the tide do the rest. Amid the confusion and the number of women who require retesting and despite all of the Minister's confidence and spin, it is clear that he is struggling at sea with scandals and dysfunctionality in the Department of Health and the HSE.

The leader of Fianna Fáil tells us that 6,000 women need to be retested, but the Minister says the figure is 4,600. Regardless of whether the number is 420 or four, the Minister should not play with figures and say it is great that the number has decreased from 6,000 to 4,600. That is if we believe him, but I do not believe one syllable that comes out of his mouth. I came to that conclusion a long time ago.

The Minister assured us that he worked "hand in glove" with his officials and that the decision was made in conjunction with them, including the Chief Medical Officer, with the support of Opposition politicians because women wanted that reassurance. My goodness, but, of course, they wanted that reassurance. The constituency of people in the State who believe the Minister is managing this and other crises afflicting health services is decreasing by the minute. Can he not see that? Can he not talk to his family, friends and supporters and use them as a barometer? Plenty of people in County Wicklow - he knows who they are, as well as I do - have no faith whatsoever in the way he is carrying on.

Almost on a daily basis, we hear claim and counterclaim that CervicalCheck is in jeopardy and that tests have overwhelmed the system. It is crazy. Twenty-two weeks is the average waiting time, but it is longer than six months for some women. The lack of clarity is a downright disgrace and I ask the Minister to, please, go. It would be good riddance to bad rubbish, as far as I am concerned.

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