Frances Black (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House today. I can only imagine how hectic it has been for him and how busy he is in these really crazy times. I fully support this Bill to extend the period for receipt of claims by the CervicalCheck tribunal. As we all know, the past 16 months have been seriously challenging for everyone. Covid-19 has affected the pace of everyday life and the CervicalCheck tribunal has been affected the same way; there is no doubt about it. Naturally, therefore, an extension is essential, especially given that it was only in March of this year, when the restrictions eased slightly, that the tribunal received its first claims.

While this Bill is a technical one, it is imperative to acknowledge the immense pain and suffering of the women and families who were tragically impacted by the CervicalCheck failure and the many women who died as a result of the errors that were made.

I thank the inspiring leadership of the 221+ patient advocacy group. This group continues to do so much for the State in improving the health service. It is also essential to acknowledge the brave women who have been cervical cancer campaigners like the incredible Vicky Phelan, who we all know is an absolute inspiration. I wish her well going forward. She is a powerful advocate for Irish women. I also pay tribute to the voices of Lorraine Walsh and Stephen Teap.

It is important to remember the CervicalCheck contract was awarded by the State based on the lowest price procurement process rather than price and quality. The failure to give proper consideration to quality was one of the main issues raised by the Scally report. This is why the Quality in Public Procurement (Contract Preparation and Award Criteria) Bill 2021, introduced by my colleague, Senator Higgins, is so important in preventing this horrific part of Irish history, which has not only darkened our past but also the present lives of so many women, from ever happening again.

I also want to bring awareness to the fact that I have been hearing reports about many women who are currently undergoing cervical smear tests and who have not been receiving results. Many of these women have been given different excuses as to why they should wait another three months before resubmitting the test. Some say they are being told of the backlog that is preventing their access to results. As the Minister can imagine, it is very frightening for many women to receive news that their results are not being processed, particularly after Covid-19. Many women have not had screenings for a long time and that will unfortunately affect fertility for some women. We need, therefore, to ensure that the backlog is being tended to and make sure that all cervical smear tests are being processed. I believe it is an urgent priority.

We have a long and tragic history in this State when it comes to women's healthcare but the shocking reality is that this is not just something that happened in the past. This reality still adversely affects women today.It is a problem that perpetuates itself and it must be solved.

I pay tribute to all the inspiring women and their families who have been so tragically impacted by this failure of our system and by the failure of leadership in the healthcare service that led to this appalling situation. I also pay tribute to those who continue to champion their cause. I am happy to support this legislation, but much more must be done to ensure that cervical health is a priority and the hideous past never repeats itself.