Alan Kelly
Ceist:936. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Health the number of applications that have been accepted by the CervicalCheck tribunal as of 3 February 2021. [7329/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 10 February 2021
Ceisteanna (936)
Freagraí scríofa
Following a pause in the steps towards full establishment of the CervicalCheck Tribunal, to allow for discussions with the 221+ Patient Representative Group about the Tribunal and CervicalCheck Cases generally, the establishment of the Tribunal was finalised with the appointment of the nominated members with effect from 1 December 2020.
I recently sought an update from the CervicalCheck Tribunal in respect of the work undertaken since its establishment. On 5 February 2021, the Tribunal Chairperson submitted a report to me setting out that a number of inquiries have been made with the Tribunal by potential claimants and legal representatives. The queries received pertained to transferring cases, time limits for the filing of claims and queries concerning online forms for the processing of claims. No claims have yet been lodged, and I understand that queries continue to be received by the Tribunal.
The Tribunal has been in a position to carry out its work since the appointment of the Members at the beginning of December, however the period for which it has been active included the Christmas break which will have impacted the level of activity during the period.
The Tribunal remains the most appropriate venue to hear and determine CervicalCheck claims. It has been specifically designed for that purpose. It is, of course, entirely up to eligible women as to whether or not they use it.