Leo broke promise to ill women

TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar was quite rightly under fire yesterday over his dialled-back promise that no other women affected by the Cervicalcheck scandal would be dragged through the courts.

It was a massive letdown after his vow in May that he would spare the seriously-ill women the ordeal of giving evidence.

At the time he insisted all cases would be resolved through mediation but he was very shortsighted to give that guarantee.

Liability is almost always contested and there was no indication in May that CPL laboratories, which is at the centre of the scandal, did not want to fight the cases.

The Taoiseach said he should have been clearer as he dialled back on his promise yesterday but with 49 legal actions pending many seriously-ill women are facing another ordeal in court.

Heroic Vicky Phelan, who is terminally ill and brought the issue to light, spoke very movingly yesterday about how difficult and painful it was for her to give evidence during her court case earlier this year.

The victims of this shameful misdiagnosis scandal should not have got their hopes raised and then cruelly dashed again by the Taoiseach.

The least these victims deserve at this stage is to be communicated with more clearly and more empathetically.