Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank everyone for their answers. I came in with one question and now have about three or four but I will not be long. The first one concerns the issue raised by Dr. McKenna, namely, the decision to export the screening process in, I think, 2008. It was not a popular decision. I have read over the record from the Academy of Clinical Science and Laboratory Medicine and the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association, which resisted it fiercely at the time. They contended that had a programme of intensive training of new clinicians been introduced, we could have kept the service at home. We did not do so and the rest is history. Perhaps the question is for Mr. Breslin to answer. When Dr. McKenna requests of us that there should be a policy statement that there is a willingness or political ambition to repatriate the service, does that come from the Minister?