Now we must be told exactly who knew what – and when

THE surprise in many ways is how it took so long. Among the many strange features of this cancer screening debacle is the way the Government managed to dub it “an issue for officials” even as controversy raged unabated into its third week.

Now the emergence of these HSE briefing memos from 2016 has landed with a thud in the laps of the Government and, specifically, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris.

Mr Varadkar was health minister in March 2016 when the first rather detailed memo was circulated and Mr Harris had taken over when other less full but updated versions followed in July that same year.

The revelation of the existence of these memos sealed the fate of HSE director general Tony O’Brien. As the scandal continued to deepen, he announced he will step down and will not see out the final weeks of his contract with the HSE.

The memos open up a major round of who knew precisely what – and when?

This issue is now decidedly political as we have finally learned there was considerable evidence that all was not well a full two years ago. Much now depends on the Government answers. This one could go any which way – including causing an early election few voters want.

Even before the full revelations about the memo yesterday afternoon, there were many signs the Government’s continued efforts to keep this one strangely “apolitical” were all but beaten.

The extraordinarily powerful testimony of Emma Mhic Mhathúna, a 37-yearold mother of five children, who spoke about getting a false test result and her now terminal cancer, proved to be a political tipping point.

It added to the harrowing stories of Vicky Phelan and several others. It was reported in yesterday’s Irish Independent but the power of radio carried it into every home in the country via RTÉ and Raidió na Gaeltachta.

During emotive Dáil exchanges, leading figures in all parties united in saying they had been deeply moved by Ms Mhic Mathúna’s words.

Fianna Fáil deputy leader Dara Calleary spoke of the courage she has shown and noted she had said she did not know whether her baby will remember her.

“Stop defending the realm and listen to these women,” Mr Calleary said.

Sinn Féin’s Louise O’Reilly said she had listened to the radio interview in her car and was “shocked, frozen, angry and upset”.

She again challenged Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe to say whether he had confidence in Tony O’Brien.

Alan Kelly of Labour said he would never forget listening to Ms Mhic Mathúna’s radio interview.

He urged the Government to clearly state that it would cover all the medical expenses of the women hit by the test problems.

Replying for the Government, Mr Donohoe said his “world began to slow down and stop” while listening to the interview and thinking of what she and her children had to face.

“It makes us reflect on the obligations we have as members of Government and of this Dáil,” he said.

Predictably, the Finance Minister again followed the pattern of his Government colleagues in not expressing confidence in Mr O’Brien as HSE head.

He added the mantra that Mr O’Brien should serve out his contract and help resolve the problems.

But by that point, Mr O’Brien himself had already given an outline to the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee about those memos – with more to come. It was a game-changer.

This one could go any which way – even causing election few voters want