‘They are hoping that we’ll die before they have to pay us’
Compensation is being delayed deliberately, says terminally ill Emma
EMMA Mhic Mhathúna, one of the women at the centre of the Cervical-Check scandal, has accused the Government and the HSE of delaying compensation payouts in the hope that some of the 209 women involved will die before payment is agreed.
It emerged this week that the State will issue an immediate payment of €2,000 to each of the 209 women who suffered a delayed cervical cancer diagnosis due to a misread smear test.
Ms Mhic Mhathúna, who is terminally ill, believes that the gesture is a deliberate attempt to stall compensation proceedings.
‘It’s a delaying tactic and also a diversionary tactic. They are trying to delay it as long as possible in the hope that some of us will die off,’ the mother of five told the Irish Daily Mail.
‘For any woman who is involved in the Government mediation scheme, it is going to cost the State far less if they die.
‘They are also trying to divert attention away from the fact that they have still failed to get the HSE to send out people’s files. For me anyway on the face of it they appear to be making a goodwill gesture, but scratch beneath the surface and you can see it for what it really is.’
The controversy, which was brought to public attention when Vicky Phelan won a High Court case settlement against the US lab that misread her smear test, sparked outrage across the country. Ms Mhic Mhathúna believes that the public reaction caught the Government by surprise, and that they are now throwing ‘scraps’ to the women involved to calm the public backlash.
‘I am 37 years of age, I’ll repeat that – I am 37 years of age and I have had to make my will. Can someone please tell me how that is right?
‘Now the people who placed me in that situation are still trying to delay in the hope that me and others will die off and they will save a few euro.
‘They are like someone who is stuck in a maze wearing a blindfold and are stumbling around it desperately trying to find a way out.
‘I can tell them there is only way out: to sort out proper and adequate compensation for everyone involved, and to do that immediately, until they sort that out they will remain stuck in the maze.’
She also spoke about how she feels Taoiseach ‘failed’ the women who were given a misdiagnosis.
‘If I was given the chance to be alone in a room with Leo Varadkar for a while the one question I
‘€2,000 payment is a diversionary tactic’ ‘Are you OK with being a failure?’
would ask him is “Are you OK with being a failure?” because he, both as minister for health and now as Taoiseach, has failed all the women involved in this.
‘When the whole storm broke the first thing he sought to clarify was that when he was the minister of health he had never seen the memos that were sent to Tony O’Brien.’
Last night the HSE said that a tailored package of supports is being delivered to the women involved, and that each woman or their family has a nominated community liaison officer.
‘The ex-gratia payment announced by Government is being coordinated through the community liaison officers,’ the spokesman told the Irish Daily Mail.
‘The payments are being made directly through the person’s bank account where possible and the first payments will be made this week.’
The Irish Daily Mail requested a comment from the Department of the Taoiseach but had received no response at time of going to print.