Varadkar: Government committed to delivering full disclosure after Teap criticism

Tánaiste responds to campaigner's comments that Government had 'blood on their hands' over death of his late wife

Leo Varadkar: 'Considering a new amendment for the Patient Safety Bill.'

The Government is committed to delivering full disclosure for patients whose cancers are missed during screening, despite scathing criticism of the handling of the CervicalCheck scandal from campaigner Stephen Teap.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar was asked in Galway to respond to comments from Mr Teap, who said the Government has “blood on their hands” over the death of his late wife.

Stephen Teap speaks after the High Court action is settled. Picture: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie

Mr Teap made his comments after settling his High Court action against Clinical Pathology Laboratories, MedLab Pathology and the HSE over the death of Irene, 35, in 2017.

In what are believed to be the first such admissions in a case involving the CervicalCheck screening programme, both laboratories admitted that their breaches of duty in screening and reporting previous smear tests in 2010 and 2013 which were incorrectly reported as normal, caused or contributed to her death.

Mr Varadkar said: “What we're considering for the Patient Safety Bill is a new amendment, putting it in law that women and men indeed need to be informed that they have a right to have their screening record reviewed, if they're subsequently been diagnosed with cancer.

"There would have to be full disclosure. So short answer on that issue is — yes, I believe we can achieve that.”

'Improved' CervicalCheck programme

Mr Varadkar said he was not sure if Mr Teap’s comments were directly in reference to him and his role but said the Government has done “our very best to deal with the Cervicalcheck issues over the years”.

“I think everyone acknowledges that the programme is now much better one than it was in the past for lots of different reasons,” he said.

Mr Varadkar said Mr Teap’s case “is a significant one as it determined that there was medical negligence and laboratories admitted that”.

“I've met Stephen on a few occasions. I know his battles and was a very significant case and very positive. Well, not positive, but a very, I think significant outcome for him,” he said.

I know how difficult it must be to be a father raising kids without your wife.

"We have set up the tribunal which is an alternative to the courts, and some women have taken up that opportunity, others haven't,” Mr Varadkar said.

The Tánaiste also addressed a report in the Irish Times which showed that the Standard in Public Office spurned two of the State’s most senior independent officials when it dismissed demands for an inquiry into Mr Varadkar’s leak of a draft medical contract during his first term as taoiseach.

Mr Varadkar said: “The position is that complaints were made against me to the Standards Commission.

"The Standards Commission looked at the complaints and they decided that they were misconceived, lacked evidence, and were not in the remit. That's why they decided not even to have a preliminary investigation.

“It is the case that that was a majority decision and not a unanimous decision. And that was known previously,” Mr Varadkar said.

“The position is from my point of view: Three years ago, I transmitted a document in a way that was inappropriate. I used an informal channel. I've apologised for that. I did so in November 2020.

"I was held to account by the Dáil on that matter. But we've had three bodies now look at this, three inquiries. All of the inquiries are finished, and none of the inquiries made any findings against me,” he said.