Dr. Gabriel Scally will today outline the recommendations of the CervicalCheck report that have yet to be implemented in full. The lack of urgency and the foot-dragging of the Government in delivering legislation on open disclosure and ensuring the return of testing to Ireland, and the effect this has had on the women concerned, are unforgivable. The Taoiseach gave a commitment last week, following the death of Vicky Phelan, that open disclosure legislation would be amended to cover the incidents that led to the CervicalCheck scandal and then passed by the end of the year. A week has gone by and there has been no progress. In fact, the HSE is talking about meetings between the Chief Medical Officer, CMO, and the Minister happening in the next couple of weeks. That is far too slow. We only have three sitting weeks left before we rise for Christmas. I ask the Taoiseach to intervene to ensure the necessary meetings happen this week, we have the amendment and we are in a position to put the open disclosure legislation on the Statute Book before we rise for Christmas, as the Taoiseach committed to doing last week.

To be fair, I think there are a lot of positives in Dr. Scally's report and he does pay tribute to the Department and the Ministers in terms of progress that has been made. He does, however, also identify the absolute necessity for absolute candour in respect of the medical profession and the health services in terms of absolute disclosure to patients. In that respect, the meetings the Deputy referred to were held last week. The Minister has been clear. I am engaging with him on this issue, and with the Chief Whip and the Attorney General, and working with officials from the Department of Health, in respect of having the amendments for consideration on Report Stage by 7 December so we could get the legislation progressed that week.

The publication of the Scally report today will be a marker for all to see what actions can and must now be taken by the Government. Last week, when we all paid tribute to the late Vicky Phelan, the enormous legacy she left and the huge work she did on behalf of women affected by cervical cancer, all of us looked for precise actions. I very much welcome the Taoiseach's outline of dates for amendments but we will need to see a very clear timeline from the Government on all the actions to be taken on foot of the Scally report, which, as we know, has just been published today. We owe that not only to Vicky Phelan but to all of those in the 221+ group and all those who fought so hard to see a better system of cervical checks put in place and strong and robust supports for those enduring cervical cancer and those who have gone through the system to date. We will need to see a clear timeline for all the actions to be taken on foot of this report.

Following the publication of the report, I understand there will be a presentation to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health, but we have no issue regarding having a wider debate in the House, and statements should be organised in respect of the report. The key issue is that legislation is required, but also cultural change in respect of absolute disclosure and candour. Progress has been made but there has been, historically, resistance to enshrining this in legislation. I do not think it is in the political house, so to speak, but there is an opportunity now, for once and for all, to deal with this issue in this legislation. The amendments on Report Stage will be very clear in that respect. This is the desire of the Oireachtas, as articulated by the all-party committee as far back as 2015, I think. We must follow through on that for once and for all now for the reasons the Deputy has given.