I want to ask the Taoiseach about the CervicalCheck tribunal. As of this month, a total of 250 claims have been made against the State by women who were damaged and injured by the CervicalCheck scandal. Court proceedings have been issued in respect of 190 claims and 31 claims have been concluded. As of 12 May, there were 160 active court cases involving women affected by this scandal and, of those, only three have been transferred to the tribunal. The 221+ support group is very critical of the tribunal, as the Taoiseach knows. It has no confidence in it and says that it has struck an iceberg. Equally, the women affected have no confidence in the Minister for Health or the process over which he presides. Given the seriousness of all this, the ordeal the women and their families have been through and the significant public concern about this matter, what is the Taoiseach going to do? This tribunal is not working. How will he intervene?

As the Deputy knows, the establishment of the tribunal was based on the recommendation of Mr. Justice Charles Meenan and was provided for in legislation enacted in the previous Dáil, which had the support of all political parties in the House. It is the Government's view that the tribunal offers a number of advantages when compared with taking High Court proceedings, as outlined by Mr. Justice Meenan in his report. The tribunal is up and running. The Deputy is correct that three claims have been received by it and these have been advanced promptly. It is our view that the tribunal offers a far more effective and quicker approach to getting claims resolved. The tribunal is an alternative venue for the exclusive purpose of dealing with the claims promptly. Of course, people have an entitlement to use the courts but we believe the tribunal offers a very good forum.