Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I do not understand that response. We have all gone through the debate here today, as short as it was. It was a short debate on a most important topic. The Minister is telling me that the safeguarding of women against adversarial proceedings is built into the process, but the provision for it is not in the Act. If the Minister accepts that, and I am tabling the amendment that he originally tabled, why would he not accept the amendment, at the very least to indicate to those who do not trust the tribunal that he is trying to establish at least an element of trust? There is enough lack of trust in the tribunal, particularly in the case of reoccurrence, which we have discussed. The Minister gave a convoluted answer about how to prove reoccurrence.

It is simple medical science. A biopsy is taken to show whether the cancer is a recurrence of the original or a new cancer. It is not rocket science; it is medical science. The Minister needs to give at least some reassurance he is taking this issue seriously. Ruling my other amendments out of order on the basis of cost was slapping this down. It does not make sense to slap down amendments based on cost because I am an Opposition Deputy and cannot incur a cost to the State. What we are trying to do here is make a tribunal process fit for purpose. At the moment, it is not. It is not me saying this; it is those who are suffering. They are not going to the tribunal. They will likely choose the courts instead of this very inadequate tribunal. Therefore, I ask the Minister to accept, at the very least, an amendment that would indicate he means what he says rather than saying the powers already exist.

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