Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I could not agree more with Senator Bacik. For people who have every reason to lose trust in parts of our health service or who, like Vicky, Lorraine, Stephen, Emma and so many others, have gone through bad experiences to still come out and promote screening is something for which I, in my role as Minister, am extremely grateful. It is also something that I know will help continue to save lives and ensure the sustainability of our programme. Not to digress from the Bill but in my first conversation with Vicky Phelan on the phone she said, "I want something good to come out of this." In fairness to her, the 221+ group and many other people, including a large number of clinicians, that is what they have worked day and night to make happen to the point where I, as Minister for Health, can say that we can effectively eradicate cervical cancer within a generation. That is not pie in the sky or a lofty political promise. It is happening in Australia and New Zealand. It is on the way to being done in Scotland. There are so many illnesses and diseases in respect of which we do not have solutions. This is one for which we have screening and vaccinations, the treatments are getting better and the international evidence is very encouraging. The focus we have put on that arising from great adversity and tragedy will save lives in the future. I just wanted to agree with Senator Bacik in that regard.

This amendment was put forward by Deputy Kelly on Committee Stage in the Dáil. We had a good debate on it. The Deputy put the amendment forward in a construction fashion, as the Senators are doing again today. I gave an undertaking to the Deputy that I would seek legal advice on foot of the discussion we had at the health committee. It was not semantics but a question as to whether the wording could be better. I sought legal advice from the Attorney General. Deputy Kelly informed me that he seeks his own legal advice. I do not know whether that is from Senator Bacik or others-----