Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I ask the Taoiseach to respond to the specific questions I asked on behalf of Lorraine Walsh. He said there was an independent report. I have to question that. If a report or review that is being conducted has to be constantly validated by the HSE, I am not sure it is fully independent. A number of people were upset by the response of the Minister, Deputy Harris, to the report yesterday. They have suggested that his response was too categoric and clinical and downplayed the findings of the report. They are not my words - they are the words of Stephen Teap and others.

Lorraine Walsh made attempts on 2 September, 2 October and 22 October to talk to the Minister and explain her concerns regarding the RCOG. He never contacted her until, literally, an hour after he discovered that she had resigned. He also tried to contact her before the report was launched yesterday but nobody will be surprised to hear that she did not answer him.

I have two questions for the Taoiseach. There is a request that in the context of the women who were part of this review, particularly those who have questions as regards what is in the report, the State would pay for an independent review of their cases, at a cost of approximately €3,000 each. I do not foresee there being a huge number of women involved and, thus, there should not be a huge cost to the State. Will the Taoiseach consider the request? Will he also ensure that Dr. Gabriel Scally fully reviews the RCOG review outcomes and the process by which it was done and report back to the Dáil in the near future?

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