Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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863. To ask the Minister for Health if she will carry out an independent inquiry into mesh implants, to establish the facts, the extent of harm, and develop a registry of the individuals affected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36216/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Considerable work has been done and continues to progress in Ireland in relation to the safe use of mesh implants; and the patient voice is central to our understanding of this matter.

Over the past two decades, uro-gynaecological mesh has been widely used in the surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women. Mesh devices are certified as compliant with relevant EU legislation, and as such, European regulatory competent authorities consider that the benefits outweigh the risks for these devices.

I am aware that in response to concerns raised in Ireland regarding complications associated with the use of mesh devices in late 2017, the then Minister for Health requested the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to prepare a report on the matter, which was published in November 2018.

The CMO’s report on The Use of Uro-Gynaecological Mesh in Surgical Procedures contains a number of recommendations regarding the safe and effective provision of mesh procedures in uro-gynaecology and an appropriate response to women who suffer complications as a result of undergoing such procedures. The CMO’s report includes a recommendation on identifying the number of women requiring, and likely to require, specialist multidisciplinary services.

The report was informed by the available national and international evidence and the personal experiences of women who have suffered complications following mesh surgery. In July 2018, in advance of publication of the full report, the CMO requested the HSE to pause all mesh procedures where clinically safe to do so. This pause remains in place.

The HSE has created a dedicated webpage about vaginal mesh implants, including contact information regarding the pathways for women suffering complications. In addition, multidisciplinary specialist services are now available for women suffering from mesh complications across two sites at Cork University Hospital (CUMH) and National Maternity Hospital (NMH) Dublin.

The focus for my Department and the HSE remains the full implementation of the CMO’s report and ensuring that women who require aftercare following mesh complications receive high quality, multidisciplinary patient-centred care in accordance with the evidence and supported by robust clinical governance mechanisms.