Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats)

I am thankful to Sinn Féin for tabling this motion and I welcome all the people in the Gallery. Yet again, here we are in Ireland where women have to talk about the most private things in public. I was in here earlier talking about child sexual abuse in Ireland, another secret that was kept for so long. In the time I have been here, I have spoken many times in the Dáil on issues that affect women and children in this country. I do not understand how we keep repeating the same thing over and over.

We need to see the effects this has on people. It is very hard to follow my colleague Deputy Whitmore and the email from her constituent. The lived experience of people is why it is so important but having to talk about these things is painful and very traumatising for people again and again. I remember reading the brilliant book Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez, which said endometriosis affected one in ten women yet took years to diagnose because women’s pain was not and never had been a priority for medical research. In Ireland, the average time to receive a diagnosis is nine years. That is nine years of pain and turmoil, both physical and emotional. It is not just the agony, but the fact no one believes women that they are in this agony that makes it so difficult for many women. That our whole health service seems to ignore women time and again is compounded by the fact it takes nine years for a diagnosis.

Listening to people’s stories, what I hear is how it affects every aspect of life. For people’s social lives, someone in agony cannot go out and enjoy themselves. Someone cannot continue schooling, education or work. It is not good enough that an employer might be very reasonable. The fact is people should be supported and healthcare should be available in this country instead of having to travel abroad. We have seen that echoed throughout healthcare for women.

I was shocked to learn from the motion that we would have to call for proper healthcare, surgeries and training. It is 2025. Maybe I am naïve as a new TD thinking that surely this has happened but I am just shocked, and I am heartbroken for the women to whom this happens. This is one example and I will probably be here again after the summer recess talking about another issue. I am just a little flabbergasted, as people can probably hear. I will focus again.

We are neglecting women all the time and this is another example. It needs to stop. Women need to stop having to travel abroad and we need a start to the medical system totally supporting these women so they can live full lives

As someone wrote to me earlier, endometriosis is not a bad period; it is a full-body disease. When I hear people say it is only a bad period and take some aspirin, I wonder how many people have had to hear that and the devastation it causes. People probably start to think they are imagining it and they start to doubt themselves. That is not good enough. Bloody hell. I nearly cursed there. We really have to get this together. Everything that needs to be done must be done.

I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion. I really appreciate it.

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