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

The Government has decided to appeal the High Court judgment in the Ruth Morrissey case arising out of the CervicalCheck scandal. I am conscious that on 11 May the Taoiseach said: "What we propose to do is to offer mediation in every case so women can avoid having to go to court and the trauma of a court hearing." He was asked then if the US lab at the centre of the scandal refused and wanted to fight the case, and he said: "... in this situation ... the State will settle and pursue the lab later". It is very clear the Taoiseach made that commitment. However, it is not being honoured in the context of the Government deciding to appeal this case to the Supreme Court, notwithstanding any mechanisms that may be developed, and we are unclear about those, but also in the context of a tribunal that has been established, which is adversarial in itself and which some people are criticising as being one that will be akin to a court session in private as opposed to one in public. Essentially, does the Taoiseach accept that he should not have made a promise, does he apologise for making the promise, or does he intend to make good the promise and pay Ruth Morrissey the award while the appeal to the Supreme Court goes ahead and then fight the lab afterwards? Is that what the Government intends to do, to fight the lab afterwards, having paid out the award?

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