Independent TDs urged to back vote against Harney
The Dáil's four Independent deputies were today called on to back a motion of no confidence in Minister for Health Mary Harney.
Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore said the public representatives could not ignore the greatest health service scandal seen in the state for many years.
The motion is being brought by Labour and Fine Gael in the Dáil this week, where Mr Gilmore said he wanted the backing of Finian McGrath, Beverley Flynn, Jackie Healy Rae and Michael Lowry.
"The vote on Wednesday night will provide an opportunity for Deputies McGrath, Flynn, Lowry and Healy Rae to demonstrate whether or not they are genuinely 'independent'," he said.
"They will be faced with a clear choice of standing up for the women who have been so badly let down by our health service or voting for confidence in the Minister who has presided over this shambles."
Around 15 women still have to attend a special breast cancer clinic in the Midlands amid fears they were wrongly given the all-clear.
Their cases are being re-examined as part of an inquiry into misdiagnosis at the controversy hit Midlands Regional Hospital after it emerged that more than 500 women who only underwent ultrasounds were having their clinical notes re-assessed.
A total of 364 patients were identified as not requiring follow up treatment with the Health Service Executive (HSE) confirming 97 women cases had to be re-assessed.
A total of 82 of those were seen yesterday by three Dublin based clinics who travelled to the Midlands.
The HSE confirmed a small number of the patients will be sent for further investigation.
Doctor Paula Gilvarry, President of the Irish Medical Organisation, said she believed there are serious faults in the running of the HSE and in its relationship with the Department of Health, adding there was a lack of communication between the pair.
She told RTÉ the system was snowed under with paper and bureaucracy.
Mr Gilmore said the Portlaoise debacle was one of the most shocking failures ever in the health service.
"It is not just the fact that women were misdiagnosed and exposed to the risk of cancer, it is also the way in which they were treated when the errors were first discovered," he added.
"Can anyone imagine the trauma caused to women who had undergone ultrasound scans hearing on the news bulletins that they may be subject recall and then having to wait for a call to establish whether or not they were in the clear?"
Meanwhile, Fine Gael's Phil Hogan queried whether the Green Party will follow their Government partners Fianna Fáil and the PD's in the vote.
