Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and thank him for coming to the House today, in what has been a hectic week for him, to set out comprehensively in his statement to the House how he has identified the issues and, more importantly, how he proposes to proceed from here. This is a time for cool heads. It is a time to stand in solidarity with the people who are suffering, anxious and concerned about their health going forward. That has to be the key message of our deliberations here today. Across the Houses and among politicians from all groups, there is a genuine sense of keenness to get on and to set out the stall, because people want to know the facts. I am particularly encouraged by the Taoiseach's announcement last night that he would seriously look at redress. A slap on the wrist is no good any more, for anybody. There must always be redress when people have done wrong. Ultimately this is about life. People are fighting for their very survival. People value their lives. People want to live and be supported by their loved ones and families, and that is critically important.

We all know that the cervical cancer check scandal constitutes a major breach of trust between patients, their doctors and the HSE. That has been said time and time again. We have to learn from that and address it. There are women in the dark today. What a horrible place to be; in the dark about their health this very day. There are people and families anxiously waiting to know what the outcome was. What was the real outcome of a test that they thought was a positive thing to do in pursuit of early intervention against cervical cancer, something that is very important? I understand that the Minister is angry - the nation is angry - and he made that anger and his frustration clear in the House. Ultimately, however, we must hold people to account. I met a woman on Grafton Street yesterday who asked me if politicians are supposed to be at the centre of the universe in the political establishment, what is this monster that is the HSE and who are all these people? On another occasion, we will have to have a another debate on how we, as the political establishment, have let go of so many powers which have been devolved to the HSE. Many people are responsible for that. We would need a lot of time to go through it but it is a timely reminder that we need to look at how we can dismantle this monster that is the HSE.

We need due process. People are entitled to that and to set out their stalls in order to explain the rationale, or lack thereof, behind their decisions. We must give people the space and time to do that. People have the right to be angry but we must have accountability, responsibility and consequences. The independent investigation with full powers has to be welcomed but it must have the power to demand documents, direct attendance of witnesses, and to demand and receive sworn evidence in a timely manner. Everything in this process must be done in a timely manner.

It is the task of the Government and the Minister to establish all the facts relating to this case, to restore confidence in cancer screening and to ensure controversies such as this never happen again.

I want to ask the Minister one question. Why did he give written consent to the director general of the HSE , Tony O'Brien, to take up a lucrative role in a San Diego-based company, Evofem Biosciences, at a time when the executive is in crisis? The Minister and the Taoiseach continually field crises relating to the HSE. Hindsight is a great thing but it was a terrible call to give written consent for this man, who we charged to lead this organisation as its director general. We cannot undo the past, and I am not asking the Minister to do that. However, I ask that neither he nor any of his successors should give consent for the director general of such an important organisation - whether it is the HSE or whatever its successor might be - to take his eye off the ball. The director general should do the job that he is paid damn well to do and that he has 100% failed to do.