Dr. Tony Holohan:

We have hit all the quality assurance parameters for each of the stages of the programme. The quality assurance, QA, guidelines we have and the publication of QA audits in this regard demonstrate that. A side-by-side comparison makes that clear. We have had a substantial impact on mortality as a consequence in this country and we know we have had a significant impact on indicators such as the stage of presentation of cervical cancer. We are confident, therefore, that the QA data and the actual outcome experience of our population demonstrate that we have had significant public health value. The, in my view, erroneous assumption that was being made that in some way this was falling short by the order of a third in terms of the standard in comparison to other countries is simply not correct.