Lorraine Clifford Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will stick to that.

Like everyone else, I was horrified when the facts of this scandal unfolded over a number of weeks. As a woman, they were horrific to hear. I have had a number of smear tests over the years and have been grateful for the screening programme, as have been the many hundreds of thousands of women who have gone through it and received results, be they clear or indicative of a need for further testing. It is a good screening programme, but our belief in the system was rocked to the core.

As the Minister stated, this occurred at a time when we were debating the eighth amendment, which was a women's healthcare issue. It raised questions about how women's healthcare had been sidelined and neglected over the years. It was an extremely emotional time for me, listening to Emma Mhic Mhathúna on the radio and the testimonies of Stephen Teap, Vicky Phelan and many others who had been badly affected by this scandal.

I welcome the Scally report, which is comprehensive. I would like its 50 recommendations to be implemented immediately. Have funds been set aside in the upcoming budget to provide for that?

I pay tribute to Vicky Phelan, whose bravery and refusal to be bullied into signing a non-disclosure agreement, NDA, brought all of this to light. She has done women, this country and the health service an enormous service. She risked everything in refusing to sign that NDA and her bravery should be acknowledged tonight.

The Scally report is excellent, in that it records the testimonies of the women affected and their families. Their testimonies are vital. I am glad that Dr. Scally gave them and their families that time. Their voices need to be listened to where the commission of inquiry is concerned. They are undergoing a period of reflection, which they should be allowed the time to take. We should all then reflect on their decision and allow them to direct the outcome.

I was taken aback by the statements about how the women were dealt with by the mainly male practitioners in the health service and the paternalistic and misogynistic attitudes that were displayed. The medical community needs to reflect on how it deals with women. Perhaps it can examine why women are not progressing up through its ranks and why there is a male-heavy medical profession in certain sectors. This matter needs to be considered. All of this ties into the gender pay gap and other issues. There is a reason for female medical students not becoming consultants, particularly in this area. Perhaps the Minister's Department needs to examine this matter.

The Minister referred to the lack of gravity attributed to women's healthcare down the years. It was a significant point. I was in Buswells Hotel today to attend the pre-budget submission of the National Women's Council of Ireland. From speaking to those present, it has some excellent proposals on women's healthcare, which I would like the Department to give consideration. I back the council's call for the establishment of a women's health action plan, particularly given the report's finding that, since 2010, CervicalCheck has not had on a full-time basis an accountable senior person responsible for the programme's delivery.That is absolutely shocking and horrendous and needs to be addressed immediately. This needs to be addressed in the overall context of women's healthcare being neglected down through the ages in this country. It is about time that women and our healthcare are taken seriously. There is perhaps a disconnect between these Houses and the medical profession and the 51% of the population. I look forward to seeing some progress. I am dismayed with a lot of the information in the Scally report, but it has not come as a total shock because we have seen it time and time again. I do not want to be standing up in this or any other chamber discussing the next scandal in women's healthcare. I look forward to significant progress on this over the coming weeks. I reserve my position on the commission of inquiry until I hear what the women and the families have to say about it.