Repellent letter shows listening to victims is secondary to political spin
EMMA Mhic Mhathúna is not a woman who can be manipulated. To try to put words in her mouth is not only futile – it also shows how little some people have actually listened to the victims of the CervicalCheck scandal over the past three weeks.
While top-level health officials fretted over the torrent of negative publicity news of the incorrect smear tests would bring, the women affected by the delayed diagnosis have been shown to be motivated by more noble reasons.
Time and again Emma, Vicky Phelan, Stephen Teap and other family members of the women who died have spoken of the need for accountability, the desire to get to the truth and, ultimately, to ensure that it doesn’t happen again to any other woman.
So to see, in black and white, businessman and Fine Gael member Sean O’Connor write to Emma outlining “an opportunity to choreograph this situation in the Government’s favour” is as repellent as it is shocking.
Political preoccupations were writ large all over the loathsome letter – not least the opportunity to spin a good news story for the Government “in the week of a referendum”.
He writes blithely about arranging a “confidential” meeting between her, the Taoiseach and Health Minister Simon Harris and how Emma could dutifully trot out an agreed script afterwards, heaping praise on the Government and showing Leo Varadkar to be blameless for the controversy. But Emma is not about to become a political pawn for any party.
She has been vocal in her anger at what she sees is a lack of action by Mr Varadkar and his Government in their dealing with the scandal.
Earlier this month, just hours after getting her terminal cancer diagnosis, she was stinging in her criticism of him. She said it was the Taoiseach’s job to take care of the people of this country, “but I don’t feel safe and he’s not doing anything about it”.
Emma turned to President Michael D Higgins last week precisely because she wanted to speak to someone who is above party politics.
She has shown herself to be a powerful communicator who is well able to stand up for herself and the women of Ireland and to shine a spotlight on the failings of our health services. She is hardly now about to do an about-turn and become Mr Varadkar’s cheer-leader-in-chief simply because Fine Gael “fast tracks” compensation – to which she is entitled with or without any party’s assistance.
She has never been motivated by money, so to see this carrot dangled before her in such a grubby manner is truly appalling and an insult to the woman herself.
The mother-of-five has said herself she will not be bought. Perhaps people should start listening to her.