Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minster for coming to the House. I appreciate that he has had a busy few days.

I want to go back to 2008. As a woman, I cannot understand how the then Minister with responsibility for health, former Deputy Mary Harney, along with the Fianna Fáil members of the Cabinet, made the decision to outsource such an important service to America.It just does not add up. Something stinks here. Something is wrong when there is advice from experts like Dr. David Gibbons and others and when someone like him feels strongly enough to resign over this matter. There also were the Well Woman clinics and that was on top of statements from politicians like Deputy Ó Caoláin, Senator Reilly and many others stating this was the wrong thing to do and this is what would happen in ten years' time. They still went ahead and decided in their wisdom that this was the right thing to do. It does not add up. That requires forensic and intensive investigation and I intend to play a part in that.

Even from a data protection point of view, it does not sit well with me that all these women's details were being held in America. In terms of making the decision to bring back that service to the country, how would the Minister envisage that happening, how long might it take and what would it cost? I do not believe we lacked the capacity in this country to do it. We had gone through a boom in which money was coming out of the ears of those in the golden circles. How were the facilities here not given proper investment? I am apologise to Senator Murnane O'Connor but Fianna Fáil's protestations on this hold no credibility for me. As for the open disclosure book, what concerns me is whether the Minister now thinks it was a mistake for the Government, supported by Fianna Fáil, to put in the amendment for a voluntary rather than mandatory disclosure in the duty of candour Bill that went through the Oireachtas last year. Was that a mistake? It is important that we admit the mistakes that were made and face up to them as otherwise, we cannot hope to find solutions to them.

The current scandal is unfolding day by day and more is learned from the media than is being given to concerned women by the HSE. I found the health committee yesterday very frustrating. I found some of the language being used by Mr. Tony O'Brien in particular, deeply condescending and insulting to women and to the families of the women who are deceased. It does not fit. Yesterday in the Dáil the Taoiseach described this cover-up as a cock-up. I was also deeply disturbed to hear him use such glib and dismissive language about such a serious issue as life and death. This morning, Ms Vicky Phelan has called on Mr. Tony O'Brien to resign. If we say we are listening to her, we need to hear what she is saying. Accountability cannot exist where responsibility is not accepted by individuals. The Minister cannot have it both ways either. Either he has full confidence in Mr. Tony O'Brien or he has to go. The fact is that Mr. Tony O'Brien has presided over negligence, concealment and misinformation with the most serious consequences for women and their families. He cannot remain as director general. That is the very least the women affected and their families need to see.

The Minister says he wants a full investigation to discover all the facts and to restore confidence in the screening programme but we do not need an inquiry to determine that women with cervical cancer were not given critical information on their healthcare. We know that at least 17 women went to their graves not knowing. We still do not know how many more women did not know and we do not know how many more women do not know right now. I appreciate that the Minister is putting things in place with the GPs. I was deeply concerned on Monday morning, because I have experience of it myself, that the GPs said they had not been given anything and they did not know what to do or put in place. I am also concerned - as I was told - that people can go to a consultant and pay €150. That is all right, as I am in a position to do that but many women are not. If one's GP does not do smear tests and there are referrals to consultants, will the consultant's fee be paid as well or to where do those women go?

I have much more I want to say but will the Minister order an audit for BreastCheck and the other medical checks because confidence needs to be restored in all of those services? I absolutely believe in screening. Will the Minister confirm to me - it was very confusing in the committee yesterday - that there was a 30% failure rate on the cervical screening? Perhaps the Minister could explain that. Moreover, why can the redress scheme not be set up before an inquiry is concluded? Are the Minister and his Department involved in the decisions to fight medical negligence cases? Is an opinion sought from either the Minister or the HSE in that regard? I have much more to ask. I appreciate the Minister coming in and I am sure there will be more opportunities for Members to ask questions. I thank the Minister.