Patient advocate Lorraine Walsh has described her experience with the CervicalCheck steering group as "catastrophic".
Ms Walsh described how she felt bullied, ignored and irrelevant throughout the review as she addressed an Oireachtas health committee this evening.
She also said that "the last 18 months have been the most psychologically challenging in my life. No citizen of this country would seek this trauma out."
She appeared along with Stephen Teap as patient representatives of the 221+ support group.
They both reiterated the importance of continued oversight on the implementation of the recommendations of the Review of Cervical Check undertaken by Dr Gabriel Scally last year.
Ms Walsh said that Dr Scally "reported on huge deficiencies in oversight, procurement, quality assurance and auditing of the system and his findings gave insights into what went so wrong for so many of us".
She told the committee: "The real success of his report and recommendations can only be appreciated when it is fully implemented, this is paramount for the future success of screening in Ireland."
She said the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) review had “an array of missed opportunities” and of the HSE on the communication and disclosure of information, she noted that her own experience was neither “positive” or “reassuring”.
Ms Walsh added that advocacy has been a chance for the group "to rebuild hope and trust, but it comes at a price, it has been cathartic, heartbreaking, emotionally draining and has had a huge impact on our everyday lives and work, relationships and mental health".
'To us the truth matters'
Meanwhile, Stephen Teap raised his concerns over the continuation of the steering group into next year, saying he was worried about "its fulfilment and it reaching 100% completion”.
He said of the RCOG review: "For those impacted, it is so very important to find out the truth individually.
"That is why we’ve been asking for the support of the Government for those who wish to have their own individual independent reviews so that they can get to the truth of what went on.
"This is what this is all about. To us the truth matters.
"If it cannot help us achieve this, that failure to support the women and families in determining the truth will be the Government's biggest failure in this debacle.
Mr Teap emphasised the importance of sustaining public confidence in screening.
He said: “Screening saves lives and even Cervical Check Screening, a programme 'doomed to fail' as described by Dr Gabriel Scally, has saved lives.
"We need to look after the women of Ireland today by fully implementing Dr Scally’s recommendations to ensure a Cervical Screening programme we can all trust and rely on”.
Ms Walsh added “In parallel we need to encourage the uptake of HPV vaccinations for girls and boys in order to reduce incidences of cervical cancer, but this takes time and faith on behalf of parents to vaccinate their children”.
