The Minister will agree the leaking of the draft report of the inquiry into the death of Savita Halappanavar before her husband Praveen had sight of it was an act of gross insensitivity to her family. It seems from what we read in the press that the report vindicates what Praveen has been saying all along. It seems to indicate that little attention was paid to the risk of infection and that there was a failure to intervene even when it was clear that miscarriage was inevitable. It is fair to say the Halappanavar family, and Praveen in particular, has been treated disgracefully and appallingly throughout this entire process.

Savita died on 28 October in Galway University hospital from suspected septicaemia. It was not until her husband went public on 14 November that there was any response from the institutions of State. He said on public record he had received no contact from the Health Service Executive, HSE, in those intervening weeks. Only when three doctors had to be removed from the inquiry team did the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, finally meet with Mr. Halappanavar. Who is in charge of this issue? Who is responsible within the system for liaising with Praveen and the family of Savita Halappanavar? Is the Minister responsible? Is the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform satisfied with the handling of the issue? Will Praveen now be given a copy of the draft report? If so, when?

Extracts from the draft HSE report into the tragic death of Mrs. Savita Halappanavar in University College Hospital Galway last October were published in national newspapers yesterday and today and were commented upon in the media and now again. All our focus should be on the renewed distress that this has caused for the family of the late Savita Halappanavar and particularly her husband. The pain must be unendurable in having to revisit all these matters. The report has not been seen by the Minister for Health or officials in his Department. I entirely agree the leak is disturbing and unacceptable.

It is disgraceful.

The Minister has conveyed his personal concerns to Praveen Halappanavar on this matter. He has made it clear that he is awaiting the final report of the independent assessor. He has reaffirmed his commitment to giving Praveen Halappanavar the final HSE report as soon as it comes into his possession. The normal procedure for people who are referenced in a report of this kind is that they are given the draft so that they have an opportunity and natural justice to comment on it before it is finalised. I understand that is what has happened. Somewhere along that chain of distribution where people were asked to look at the contents of a draft, it leaked into the public domain. That is shameful, unacceptable and hurtful. I reiterate again the determination of Government and the Minister for Health to get the full and complete circumstances surrounding this tragic death and the first person to be given it, once the report is finalised and in advance of any publication, will be Mr. Halappanavar.

I understand that Mr. Halappanavar and his legal representative expected to have a copy of the report last week and I cannot understand why that did not happen. It has been leaked subsequently and I can only guess at the motivation of those who leaked the report; none of us here can conclude on that. However, we know that the distress the family is experiencing is only one episode in chapter after chapter of distress visited on them not only by the loss of a wife and daughter but by the absolute ineptitude and insensitivity of the system in dealing with this matter.

What does all of this say to women when we consider it? What does it say when it is generations before we can deal with the issue of the Magdalen laundries? It has been decades since the X case and we are still waiting on legislation which, as everyone in the House knows, is necessary not to create some sort of liberal abortion regime but to ensure that pregnant women are safe and that if a pregnant woman's life is in danger, medics or administrators do not have the option of looking the other way. From what has been leaked - we have only partial information - it appears that this is what happened in the case of Savita Halappanavar. Her husband has said as much on the record consistently. He should have a copy of the report immediately. It is not sustainable for the Minister to say that it should be withheld until the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, sees it.

He does not have it.

Staff in the HSE have it and people in the media have it. The person who above all should have it as a matter of urgency is Praveen Halappanavar.

When the Minister takes to his feet I hope he will give reassurance to women, in particular, who are looking at the health system and the antics of the HSE and wondering what on earth is going on and, more important, to Praveen Halappanavar. The Minister should say now that Mr. Halappanavar will have an copy of that report immediately.

This is an issue of unimaginable pain for the Halappanavar family, particularly for Praveen. It is not an issue that I intend to make a political dispute about in the House. We need to get the full facts into the public domain as soon as the report is received by the Minister for Health. I have indicated to Deputy McDonald that the Minister for Health has not got a copy of the draft report yet because the normal process in natural and constitutional justice is that those commented on in a draft report have sight of it in case there are issues that they want to rebut or comment on.

That is why Praveen should have it.

Once the report is finalised, in advance of any publication it should not be in the public domain in draft form or any form and, with all due respect, it should not be commented on by anyone until we see the complete report. Too often in the past in the case of many issues people have come to conclusions. Let us give space and time to the expert panel to set down all the facts after due process and after those who have constitutional rights have been consulted. Let us then put it into the public domain and have a full debate about the matters here and draw conclusions.

The Deputy goes further and refers to other matters. She referenced the Magdalen laundries. This is the first Government in generations which has given a standing to and a recognition of the terrible wrong done to those women. Deputy McDonald mentioned the X case. This is the first Government in 20 years which is determined to legislate on the issue. It ill-behoves people who have been in the House for some time or whose parties have been represented here to critique a proactive Government which will actually deal with these issues of long standing which have adversely affected women down through the generations.