Government promises that just can’t be met

THE words ‘I know what I am doing’ are so often a prelude to disaster. Health Minister Simon Harris was pleased to take whatever plaudits were going when the Repeal the Eighth referendum was passed. But his shining armour as the defender of women’s rights has lost much of its lustre in recent months because of inaction in the cervical smear test scandal.

There may be several ways of moving forward but there is only one way of staying put; a fact lost on Mr Harris. In government, stagnation is abdication.

One week ago, the 221 women who received incorrect smear-test results were sent HSE information packs on what the Government “has done so far”.

They were also furnished with a letter telling them they would “soon be sent consent forms”. Once signed, the HSE would then forward their smear tests to the Royal College for examination. But this review was due to be completed months ago, yet the consent forms for it to start have yet to be sent.

Some of these women are gravely ill. Our Government has made a suite of commitments which have been breached. Good intentions are no excuse. This week Mr Harris asked: “Who in their right mind would want to see a terminally ill woman in court?”

But these women are being hauled before the courts. Such two-faced bluster would make even Janus blush. Mr Harris knows better than any of us, as does our Taoiseach, that there is no easy way out.

Yet Mr Varadkar and Mr Harris have been tripping over themselves to show they are on the side of the victims. They insisted that if the laboratories declined to settle with the women, the State would honour the claims, and then go after the labs.

All of this sounds great, but it neatly sidesteps the issue of negligence which will have to be confronted.

Being careless with promises that can’t be met is cruel in any circumstances, but in these it is inexcusable.