Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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98. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons in his Department, the HSE or other agencies both at official and other levels who received the Scally report before it was leaked to the media on 11 September 2018, before the victims had received a briefing on same; if he plans to investigate the leak; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37935/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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It is extremely regrettable that some details of the review became known in advance of the planned briefing for impacted women and families. I viewed it as a priority that representatives of those most affected would be briefed on the content of the report before it was published. Consequently, I and my Department had been working towards a schedule that ensured the patient representatives were being briefed by Dr Scally concurrently with my briefing of Cabinet. This was to be followed by briefings by Dr Scally to medical colleges, patient advocacy groups, the opposition and the press.

Fortunately, Dr Scally was able to make himself available at short notice to provide substantial briefing on the contents of his report to some of those who were most affected, and the other briefings took place as planned.

It is not accurate to say that the report was leaked but, as I have said, I do not know how an aspect of it came into the public domain.

Within my Department, on receipt of the Report of the Scoping Inquiry, a total of nine copies were generated (two copies received and a further seven created). Five copies were issued to officials and others in the Department of Health, three copies were provided to the Office of the Attorney General and one copy was provided to the office of An Taoiseach. Officials' access to the report was for the purposes of seeking the advice of the Attorney General, and of preparing a Memorandum for Government. Those receiving the report were advised in writing as to its confidentiality and that they were not permitted to copy the report.

At this point, in accordance with Dr Scally's report, there are two priority tasks. These are firstly, ensuring that the group of women affected and the relatives of the deceased are given the maximum amount of support in dealing with the difficulties that they now face, and secondly, implementing the 50 recommendations of the Scoping Inquiry, which have been accepted in full by Government.