merrion street

The Minister for Health, Simon Harris, TD, has received Cabinet approval to proceed with publication, in the coming days, of the CervicalCheck Tribunal Bill. The Tribunal will hear and determine claims arising from the retrospective CervicalCheck cytology clinical audit and from the Expert Panel Review of Cervical Screening, in particular in respect of the reading of smears. It will be chaired by Ms Justice Mary Irvine, a serving judge of the Superior Courts.

The Minister said:

I am pleased that Government has approved the publication of the Bill and I intend to introduce it in the Dáil at second stage next week, with a view to having the legislation in place before the Summer recess. 

Minister Harris also announced that the Independent Assessment Panel for the CervicalCheck Non-Disclosure Ex Gratia Scheme chaired by Justice Aindrias Ó Caoimh, has determined that €20,000 is the appropriate amount for the ex gratia payment. 

The Department of Health will make payments to those individuals who have applied, and where the Independent Panel has already determined that appropriate disclosure did not take place, shortly. In the meantime, the Panel is progressing its assessments of the remaining applications. The Scheme remains open, and those individuals who have not yet applied can still do so.