Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----and her family for the huge courage they showed in pursuing the case against robust opposition and defence by the State to the point where she was forced to give evidence in the witness box. The judge commented when the case was settled that she was one of the most impressive witnesses he had ever heard. I commend her tenaciousness in pursuing this issue. It is appalling that many other women may have been affected and that 162, 17 of whom have since died, were not notified of the audit.It is also appalling that we have had such a drip feed of information on the issue of miscommunication, which is coming out so slowly. It appears the Minister is not fully apprised of exactly what was going on.

We need answers and the women of Ireland need answers. In particular we need to know how many women should have concerns. Thousands of women are ringing the helpline. As of this morning more than 6,000 women had already contacted the helpline. We need to know if the resources will be put in place to address the concerns of the many thousands of women who have gone through CervicalCheck. We also need to ensure that women continue to attend for screening because many women have routine appointments for screening already scheduled.

I note that the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has stated that it is essential women continue to have smear tests when called and that screening remains the best way to detect cervical cancer. It notes that the combination of HPV vaccination and a well-resourced national screening programme is the best way to reduce the incidence. Of course, it should not be forgotten that we have seen a 7% decrease in cervical cancer per year in each year of the programme. I think all of us know women and families who have been affected by cervical cancer, and we recognise this is a deadly killer. It is vital that we ensure we have a robust screening programme and a robust vaccination programme. The Minister and the head of the HSE need to move very swiftly to allay people's concerns.

As my party's health spokesperson in the Dáil, Deputy Kelly, has pointed out, we, along with everybody else, support a review. The key question is over the appropriate body to undertake a review. Does HIQA have sufficient statutory powers to enable the sort of investigation to be carried out that we desperately require? Should HIQA be further resourced or should the matter now be put into a commission of investigation or, indeed, a tribunal? The first priority, before we descend into political discussion or questioning on it, is to ensure women's health is protected.

On a happier note, I welcome today's introduction of the sugar tax, which has also been welcomed by the Irish Heart Foundation. I know colleagues, notably Senator Noone, have been campaigning for many years on the issue. I very much welcome that introduction.

I commend yesterday's launch by President Higgins of a new four-volume series, The Cambridge History of Ireland. I note our colleague, Professor Jane Ohlmeyer, along with her colleagues James Kelly, Brendan Smith and Thomas Bartlett are the editors of the four-volume series. It is very important. I note that the President took the opportunity to remark on the importance of history as part of the secondary school curriculum. It should not be in any way downgraded or reduced in importance because it is so vital for all of our citizens to understand our history.