Dr. Gabriel Scally was very critical of the current remedies in place for screening misdiagnosis and the fact that women and families are forced down the legal route. There is a specific reference to this in A Programme for a Partnership Government.

As the Taoiseach will be aware, there is a second misdiagnosis issue, namely, the hearing impairment misdiagnosis of 49 children in counties Roscommon and Mayo. In this case, the HSE has admitted responsibility and issued an apology, yet the parents are being forced down the legal route to gain access to the services required for their children because the HSE cannot provide the funding and the State Claims Agency will act only after a long and protracted process.

These children need support now, not a large compensation payment in 2025. Can the Taoiseach assure the House that the HSE apology will be acted on without delay and the required supports put in place for the children affected?

I understand that efforts are under way to put in place the necessary supports for the children and adults affected, including educational, social welfare and health supports. I discussed the matter with somebody earlier who suggested that the next step would be to appoint a dedicated liaison person because some families are getting supports while others are not; it has not been co-ordinated properly. On foot of the Deputy's query, I will follow the matter up further today and see if we can move things along more quickly because I know the response to date has been somewhat piecemeal.