The Tánaiste spoke earlier about promised legislation in respect of open disclosure and the need to avoid an adversarial environment in regard to the CervicalCheck issue. We heard from the solicitor for Vicky Phelan this morning that there are delays in regard to the HSE agreeing a protocol to release slides for the women concerned. When the HSE is behaving like that, the women have no choice but to take legal action. Will the Tánaiste ask the Minister for Health to intervene to stop this foot-dragging by the HSE and to release the data that are required and requested by the women?

In some ways, there are two different issues here but they are both very fair questions. With regard to the releasing of slides, which essentially allow women to access their full medical records, including slides as part of that, there should be no delay in that.

There is a delay in regard to the protocol.

I accept that. There should not be a delay in that and I will raise it directly with the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the HSE. On the protocol issue, my understanding, from speaking to the Department of Health before coming in this morning, is that the idea is to put a new protocol in place when we have the Scally report finalised so we have a fully informed process around putting new protocols in place rather than trying to put something temporary in place. That should not, however, prevent individual women and families from accessing their full medical records, including slides.