Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I join the previous speaker in paying a short tribute to Vicky Phelan. I was pleased to hear earlier this week that she is on her way home. She has had six rough months in the United States. She was on "The Late Late Show" with Ryan Tubridy last summer, a day or two before her departure. She was filled with hope but also trepidation and fear. She has embraced the science of this from the get-go and is clinging to every tree that she can. I wish her every success going forward.

It is important in the same breath to also mention a woman from my own county, Laura Brennan, who was also an ardent campaigner on the CervicalCheck fiasco. She was a young lady who lost her life in March 2019.

I hope the Bill will enjoy the support of all Deputies. It is essential that we extend the period within which claims can be made by the CervicalCheck tribunal. An initial six-month extension is proposed right up to 26 January 2022. If we enact the Bill, it also entitles the Minister for Health to extend the period further for another six months up to 26 July 2022.

Each year 6,000 women attend CervicalCheck. With or without tribunals, it is a functioning mechanism in the healthcare system. We must do everything we can to ensure it functions well. There have been very few claims going to the tribunal. I heard what previous speakers have said. We must look at some of the reasons for that and address them. Moreover, in the spirit of both Vicky Phelan and Laura Brennan, we must fully resource CervicalCheck to ensure that it functions, regardless of Covid, detects cervical cancer early and allows women to get proper and effective treatment so that they are not left in a battle for their life. Sin é.

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