Former HSE director general Tony O’Brien: Cancer committees achieved zero value
Former HSE director general Tony O’Brien has lashed out at two Oireachtas committees examining the cervical cancer tests scandal, claiming they achieved zero value and based their investigations on “howls of indignation”.
Mr O’Brien launched the attacks against the public accounts and health committees as he accused them of “gratuitously offensive treatment” of officials and of dragging HSE managers away from more important work.
Responding to the publication last week of Dr Gabriel Scally’s independent review of the cervical cancer tests scandal, Mr O’Brien — who left the HSE at the height of the scandal — tweeted that while he understood the impact of what happened he believes the committees “manufactured” an outcry.
In three messages on the social media platform on Sunday night, he quoted his own comments in May which said people in the public eye must act in a responsible way during crises, and which were widely interpreted as a criticism of politicians discussing the matter.
Hitting out at the months of furore over the cervical cancer tests scandal in the political arena, Mr O’Brien wrote:
“I said this on May 11 to howls of manufactured indignation from those whose conduct led them to believe this was about them.
I think it [the Scally report] raises important issues regarding Oireachtas procedures and public administration. The subsequent gratuitously offensive treatment of senior and less senior HSE and Department of Health colleagues was bad.
“Zero of value was achieved by two committees trying them up for days when Scally and Cervical Check, not to mention winter planning, needed their attention.”
Mr O’Brien’s comments were criticised last night by PAC chair and Fianna Fáil TD Sean Fleming, who said any former or current officials in the health service who are angry about how the cervical cancer tests scandal was investigated should realise “prevention is the best cure” and try to stop crises before they happen.
Insisting the PAC and health committees were right to examine the matter and will continue to do so if necessary, Mr Fleming said while it may be “inconvenient” for people like Mr O’Brien to answer questions in public, the issue remains within the remit of Oireachtas committees.
We had the exact same comments from officials when we examined Nama and Project Eagle, when we looked at the garda college, the Grace case of abuse in foster homes in the South-East, and other matters. And we did all of that with the backing of the entire Oireachtas. Maybe when people criticise us for investigation matters they should remember that prevention in the first place is the best cure,” Mr Fleming said.
Mr O’Brien left his position as director general of the HSE at the height of the cervical cancer tests scandal on May 11 after six years in the position.
In a statement at the time, Mr O’Brien said he was leaving “in order to avoid any further impact to the delivery of health and social care services”.
