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'The Government is attempting to deny symphysiotomy victims access to the courts' - Clare Daly

Dublin North TD Clare Daly says that any comparison between redress schemes for Magdalene and symphysiotomy survivors is ‘wholly inappropriate’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=pXRgGbuu2f0

(TheJournalVideo/YouTube)

UNITED LEFT ALLIANCE TD Clare Daly today angrily accused the Government of putting redress for the survivors of symphysiotomy ‘on the long finger’.

Speaking during today’s Leaders’ Questions, Daly told of a survivor , Mary Kerr, who died recently and, Daly said ‘will never see justice’. Echoing a remark made by the Taoiseach in connection with Magdalene survivors, Daly said that ‘time is not on [symphysiotomy victims'] side’. However, she argued that that is where the comparison ended.

“This isn’t a matter of health, it’s a matter of justice,” said Daly, adding  ”This isn’t a comparison with Magdalene laundries, this is a question of gross negligence of medical treatment.”

Speaking about the delay in redress, Daly said that there ‘could only be one conclusion’.

Far from grappling with the legacy and justice of this issue, the Government appears to be attempting to deny access to the courts to these aging victims by long fingering these issues. And I don’t make that point in any way lightly.

The Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said that the Government was taking the issue seriously and that Health Minister James Reilly was examining the Walsh report on the practice.

“I can give the assurance that this government is listening and will listen to [the victims]. This has been an issue of concern from the beginning and is raised from all sides of the house regularly. It is an issue of immediate concern.”

Daly hit back, however saying that the Government’s actions ‘indicate they are embarking on a path contrary to the wishes of the victims’, adding that victims would be seeking between €250,000 and €400,000 in compensation.

Read: Symphysiotomy survivors “repudiate” Walsh report

Read: Government condemned by symphysiotomy group for “underhand approach”

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24 Comments
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    Mute Buster Lawless
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    Sep 25th 2024, 8:04 PM

    Well done,a great days labour…..a lot on here just think you go in past the 1.5million euro security hut, down past the 365 thousand euro bike shed,see the 190 thousand euro fitness instructor for an hour before going off to the heavily subsidised dail bar for a spot of lunch.

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    Mute Phillip Smyth
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    Sep 25th 2024, 8:18 PM

    @Buster Lawless: haha buster your gas.

    25
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    Mute Willie Marty
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    Sep 25th 2024, 11:49 PM

    @james rowan: lol!( chuckle)

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    Mute Phillip Smyth
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    Sep 25th 2024, 11:51 PM

    @james rowan: good evening sir, I have no malice whatsoever towards the lady in question and by the sounds of it you are a big fan and I respect that.
    I just felt the way he put it altogether was if you like clever and I had a chuckle and hence gas.

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    Mute Eoin O Flaherty
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    Sep 25th 2024, 8:39 PM

    Very well said Catherine

    103
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    Mute Ger Murphy
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    Sep 25th 2024, 11:05 PM

    @Eoin O Flaherty: Too bad she isn’t as vocal about the urgent necessity to build the bypass and stop the city chocking. Nothing moves in the city most of every day. Everything going east – west and vice versa has to funnell through 3 effective bridges – 2 of which marshelled on both sides by traffic lights. 2 of the 3 bridges were built in the era of ass & carts.

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    Mute Fergus O'Donnell
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    Sep 26th 2024, 12:13 AM

    @Ger Murphy: in fairness it was the Greens that put the kybosh on that.
    They seem to think massive congestion is good for the environment…

    47
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    Mute Eddienowy Byrne
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    Sep 25th 2024, 9:23 PM

    One of the few politicians I admire

    92
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    Mute Fergus O'Donnell
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    Sep 26th 2024, 12:14 AM

    @Eddienowy Byrne: in fairness she’s very good.

    38
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    Mute Oh Mammy
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    Sep 25th 2024, 8:01 PM

    If only we could have a 13b euro windfall……..

    74
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    Mute Danny O'Mahony
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    Sep 25th 2024, 8:56 PM

    It’s not just Galway. The single biggest infrastructure problem in this country is our water provision and waste water systems. It’s sickening to think how much raw sewage is pumped into our rivers and the sea and the damage its doing to aquatic life and ultimately ourselves. But there’s no votes in water. Noone cares as long as water comes out the taps and they can flush the jacks.

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    Mute thomas molloy
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    Sep 25th 2024, 8:21 PM

    Many of our super confident and knowledgeable politicians have missed operational careers in utilities and house building that would have our country flying

    37
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    Mute James Gorman
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    Sep 25th 2024, 8:11 PM

    Another reason not to vote for independents who stay in opposition

    She might as well howl at the moon

    34
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    Mute Hayagriva
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    Sep 25th 2024, 8:49 PM

    @James Gorman: Catherine Connolly is one of the few td’s of any integrity in the Dáil unlike many Independents who are FFG in all but name

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    Mute Darth O'Leary
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    Sep 25th 2024, 8:59 PM

    @James Gorman: She’s a great advocate for the people Ireland. Done more with her time as a TD than most of the chancers in government ever did

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    Mute ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere
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    Sep 25th 2024, 8:59 PM

    @James Gorman: And yet this is a failure of government parties, not the independent TD.

    If anything, this will be forced to a resolution.by the independent TD *despite* the uncaring government parties.

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    Mute Michale Kane
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    Sep 25th 2024, 11:10 PM

    @James Gorman: Sorry don’t agree.. She is a good TD, has integrity and genuine desire to help her country. We need more like her.

    35
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    Mute Peter Donnelly
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    Sep 25th 2024, 11:39 PM

    @Hayagriva: just like your man donnelly who was elected as an independent and within a few weeks joined ff and got a job as a minister of some sort, I hope the people who voted for him remember that….

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    Mute H Woo
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    Sep 25th 2024, 11:51 PM

    @Darth O’Leary:
    She has the luxury of never having to make a decision.

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    Mute Fergus O'Donnell
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    Sep 26th 2024, 12:15 AM

    @James Gorman: ah no. She’s a genuinely hard working decent politician.

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    Mute Colette Byrne
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    Sep 26th 2024, 8:55 AM

    @James Gorman: Catherine Connolly is one of if not the best politician in the Dail. Truthful, always polite, and honest.
    I’m not in her area. Pity we don’t have more like her.
    She is respectful of all yet gets her point across. She doesn’t stand at the gates for every photo op when there is something going on.
    Ye can say a lot about most wasters in the dail. But she is a good one.

    17
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    Mute Colette Byrne
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    Sep 26th 2024, 9:09 AM

    @James Gorman: If she howls at the moon, the moon would listen.

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    Mute Peter Boyle
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    Sep 25th 2024, 8:13 PM

    Probably most of the problem comes from vast amounts of rainwater going into the sewage system overwhelming the capacity to safely treat?

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    Mute Alex
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    Sep 25th 2024, 10:14 PM

    Imagine bragging that you completely failed to secure proper funding for your local council during 17 years and blaming the government.

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    Mute P. V. Aglue
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    Sep 25th 2024, 10:31 PM

    @Alex: but the councils around the country have been charging development levies on new builds since 2006,to pay for all the infrastructure and the house tax since 2013 was another boost to the budgets. So what are they doing with all the money? Pi§§ING it up against a wall like the opw

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    Mute Willie Marty
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    Sep 25th 2024, 11:41 PM

    @P. V. Aglue: not even a wall in the bike shed to piss up against.

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    Mute Paddy C
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    Sep 25th 2024, 9:32 PM

    Great spot for speech and waffle where no accountability ever happens,reminds me of match of the day were they just talked pure s#### for a while to pass time. Except in there it’s large salaries and expenses talking about problems and not solving them.

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    Mute Phillip Smyth
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    Sep 25th 2024, 11:59 PM

    The bikes are getting pissed on now as we post.

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    Mute James Keogh
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    Sep 26th 2024, 3:26 AM

    Well spoken and highlighted but, this situation should also be voiced by and come from the Galway Councillors as it did originally. Unfortunately at the moment some of the Councillors are lost in mediocre or even lesser drum beating like shipwrecks on the shore, or the inconveniences of the Chamber moving to Mervue. Should the situation as outlined by you not be dealt with, then there will be more than Ships on the Shore !

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