CervicalCheck campaigner (39) died on Sunday after prolonged battle with cancer

CervicalCheck campaigner Ruth Morrissey was a stunningly beautiful, caring and wise person, her husband has told her funeral Mass.
I met Ruth Maloney when she was 17 and I was 19. From that moment on, it was just the two of us a team, Paul Morrissey told the service at Mary Magdalene Church in Monaleen, Co Limerick.
Ruth was my girlfriend but she was also my best friend. We did everything together and it helped that we were both Man United supporters.
It is no secret that in our relationship, Ruth was the boss. I was quite simply happy with the arrangement it suited me. I knew she was right.
Mrs Morrissey, who died on Sunday aged 39, was among more than 200 women affected by the CervicalCheck controversy.
She had a prolonged battle with cancer and sued the Health Service Executive (HSE) and two laboratories over the misreading of her smear test results. The Supreme Court last week heard that 2.1 million in compensation had been paid out to Ms Morrissey and her family. She is survived by Mr Morrissey and their daughter, Libby.
Mr Morrissey told the congregation, which included fellow campaigners Vicky Phelan and Lorraine Walsh and Labour leader Alan Kelly, that Ms Morrissey was wise beyond her years.
Not only was Ruth stunningly beautiful with a smile that would light up any room that she walked into, she was so loving and caring and well able to give sound advice, whether you wanted to hear it at the time or not, he said.
I dont know how I got so lucky when she agreed to come my way.
Mr Morrissey said his wife was a natural mother who adored their daughter, who made her so proud and happy.
Everything we did was as a family and spending time together was so important, he added. Libby has inherited so many of Ruths qualities. She made a card for her mother on Saturday and signed it mini Ruth I think that says it all.
I always knew Ruth was a strong person but the resilience and bravery she showed every day, whether having treatment, going through the court case or dealing with the pain, never ceased to amaze me. She carried it all with great dignity and still managed to keep her sense of humour and appreciate the simple things in life.
Mr Morrissey broke down as he said: Me and Libby are truly heartbroken and devastated. I dont think we will ever recover from losing Ruth.
A minutes silence was held in the Dáil on Tuesday in her honour. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the Government acknowledged the failures of CervicaCheck and was profoundly sorry about what had been allowed to happen.
This Government, like the previous government, acknowledges the failures that took place with CervicalCheck programme and are profoundly sorry for what was allowed to happen, he said.
Too many women who should be here and enjoying life with their families are gone because of those failings.
Those of us who were here and have the responsibility of elected office have a solemn duty to learn the lessons from these errors, to reform the system and to make sure they never happen again.
He said Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly was in the process of appointing a new judge to the CervicalCheck tribunal.
The tribunal was promised by the last government and was due to be in place by March but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. – PA