Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Vicky Phelan was and will remain known as a tireless fighter for women, a courageous mother, a fearless CervicalCheck campaigner and someone whose generosity of spirit captured the whole nation. The mother of two's refusal to sign a confidentiality clause and her court action over misread smear tests ultimately exposed what was a system failure of CervicalCheck. Vicky's battle took an enormous personal toll, but that was borne with steadfast and unwavering commitment to the truth. In finding that truth, Vicky has done a great service to all women in this country. I do not think it is yet possible to grasp fully the scale of her contribution to our society.

I am deeply conscious Vicky's wish of the political leaders was not for tributes, but for action, change and accountability. Women should never feel voiceless or invisible. The burden should not have fallen on Vicky to stand up for women and for what is right. We must change. With poise and through her determination and grit, Vicky taught us that. I cannot adequately express my admiration for Vicky's courage, resilience and generosity of spirit. I have heard her friends say she met every challenge with grace and good humour. We are all grieving an enormous loss today.

To Vicky's husband, Jim, and to her beloved children, Amelia and Darragh, I say I cannot begin to imagine the pain and heartbreak they are feeling. I want to say "Thank you" to Vicky and "Thank you" to every person who supported her in her courageous battle to seek the truth for women in Ireland. I will remember and I hope others will remember Vicky's own words from her autobiography:

There will be others who will continue this fight without me when I'm gone, because we are all in this together at the end of the day. We all come from that same place, from a mother's womb. This is everybody's story.

A Vicky, tá muidne, mná na hÉireann, thar a bheith buíoch díot. Labhair tú amach ar ár son uilig, ar son na máithreacha, na hiníonacha, na seanmháithreacha, na gariníonacha, na deirfiúracha, na deirfiúracha chéile, na neachtanna agus na cairde. Fágann tú léas solais i do dhiaidh. Mhúscail do mhisneach misneach ionann. Go ndéana Dia a mhaith ort.

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