Updated statement on delayed Scally Inquiry
Press Release- Bríd Smith TD, People Before Profit 12/06/2018
People Before Profit TD Bríd Smith has expressed her disappointment with the announcement that the scoping inquiry into Cervical screening will not complete its work before the end of summer.
She said: “While I welcome many of the initial recommendations of the Scally scoping inquiry, there is clear evidence of obstruction contained in this report.
It is stated, for example, that: ‘Much of the documentation requested has been provided to the Inquiry team only in recent days, i.e. between the 6th and 8th of June, and amounts to more than 4,000 items at the current count, with more expected.’
Later there is a reference to the fact that: ‘more than 4,000 documents have been supplied by the Department of Health, HSE, CervicalCheck, National Cancer Registry of Ireland, and other entities. The vast majority of these documents were received between 6th and 8th June, and we are expecting another substantial body of documentation within the coming days.’
This suggests that official agencies- including the Department of Health – have been dragging their heels on their much-vaunted claims for ‘transparency’.
Behind this lies a deliberate strategy by Simon Harris and Leo Varadkar to kick this issue down the road as far as they can while they try to bask in the glory of ‘defenders of women’s rights’ after the Repeal referendum.
Bríd Smith said: “I have asked on several occasions in the Dail for a simple piece of information – namely, could the Department of Health provide me with details of where the misdiagnoses of womens’ screens occurred in. As only a few centres were involved there should be no difficulty letting the Irish public know which contracted testing centres failed these 209 women.
“It has long been a tradition of the Irish elite to set up commissions of inquiry, tribunals, scoping inquiries when faced with scandals. It has always been a way to avoid direct political responsibility.
“The interim report of Dr Scally only confirms me in my view that this is happening again.”
Ends
Contact- Bríd Smith TD- 087 909 0166
Nick Lee (Press Officer)- 087 615 6473