Danny Healy-Rae demands more time for women after wrong diagnoses
Danny Healy-Rae spoke in the Dáil about women who received wrong cancer screening results and called for more time and accountability. He criticised long delays in informing women and urged the minister to extend deadlines and ensure fair treatment.
Personal sympathy and named case
Mr. Healy-Rae opened by expressing sympathy for the women affected, mentioning Ima Mac Mughuna from Dingle and offering condolences to families. He praised the resilience of those who fought on and said thoughts and prayers were with the bereaved.
Delay in disclosure and call for accountability
He highlighted that over 200 people received wrong results and said the worst aspect was the lengthy delay in notifying women and their families. He called for those responsible to be brought to task, naming Tony Houlin as one who "certainly has a question to answer" over the delay.
Impact of Covid on cancer care
He warned that Covid-related delays have cost lives and given examples of patients whose treatment appointments were repeatedly postponed. He described a case of a man whose follow-up was delayed from January until June and whose cancer had since widely spread, leaving him little chance of survival.
Request to extend claim deadline
He criticised a proposed deadline of 26 July 2022 for women to come forward and urged the minister to extend it by several years. He argued more time is needed because some women may take longer to come forward and they deserve retribution and respect for the wrongs done to them.
Demand for fair treatment going forward
He pressed the minister to ensure women affected are treated fairly and said the health service must get its house in order to prevent further delays. He welcomed any extension so far but insisted it was insufficient and asked for a longer window for claims and redress.
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Mr. Jefferson, thanks very much for the opportunity and talking on this very sad, sad and desperate treatment of our women, so many fine women and I think of poor Ima Mac Mughuna who lived down in our county in Dingle for a while and my sympathy goes out to her family and indeed to all the others. women that lost their lives because of wrong diagnosis and Ima was such a witty, charming woman and up to the very end she fought as happy as she could and our thoughts and prayers were with her family as all the other women as well. I suppose the worst part of this whole saga minister was, yes there was a wrong diagnosis but the length of time that it took for to inform women or their families that a wrong diagnosis had in fact been made. and we all know that time is crucial in diagnosing cancer and the outcomes are much different if there is a delay and I believe that people will have to be brought to task or should be brought to task and if it is Tony Houlin or whoever was in charge of the delay they certainly have a question to answer because time is so important. and there was over 200 people got the wrong results and such a delay in informing many of them we applaud Vicky Phelan for the fight that she has put up on behalf of all the women that were affected and herself but there is another thing happening minister and has happened more people are dying because of another delay that has been happening since happening since Covid began. Many people were rather serious issues like one man that I know his wife taught me he has just four months to live because he was supposed to be seen after his first round of treatment in January of this year. he was delayed and he was delayed and he was delayed and put back from month to month and finally it was June just last month he was seen and it had spread again all over him and he has a young family and a young wife and he is here I know there is miracles but it is unlikely that he will survive and I am very sorry for him and as many others as well that were delayed. and I mean it is one thing we know Covid was very serious and had to be dealt with but I believe it shouldn't have held up any other people with other medical problems and it has and it is and you need to I have asked before to ensure that that does not happen anymore and you need to get your house in order because it is not in order and people from Kerry are being delayed and being seen after. and this I can't understand why you are cutting the time so tight that you are cutting the deadline now possibly up to the 26th of July 2022. why can't we have it till sometime in 24 or 25 because some women may leave longer and come forward later and I ask you to give them more time. what are they trying to cut the time for? what are they trying to cut the time for? what are they trying to cut the time for? it is not a grant for something that farmers or something they are applying for. this is a serious matter where they are entitled to get retribution and to show them respect and treat them accordingly for the wrongs that have been done to them. I can't see why we are limiting it to July while I welcome it being extended until the 26th of July 2022. I am asking to extend it for a couple of more years to give women the chance to come forward because this is a desperate scenario for people who are given wrong information. and we all trust medical advice and we are taught to respect medical advice but when there was wrong advice given someone will have to answer why and why the delay, why it took so long three or four years to inform women. that is what the desperate wrong was done Minister. and I am asking to ensure that all these women are treated fairly because they have not been treated fairly up until this. thank you very much.
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