Mr. Damien McCallion:

I think there is always a risk, but in reality we have secured contracts and heads of agreement for finalising contracts with a second laboratory. We have worked with it to get a solution in order to maintain the programme. We have heard the figures, which Mr Breslin referred to at the start, on the improvement in cervical cancer survival rates in Ireland. There are many other figures on the number of abnormalities that the programme picks up. We have worked constructively as best we can in the circumstances to ensure that we maintain a programme and we are continuing to do that at the moment. Our challenge at the moment is more - and there is always a risk, as the Senator has stated - to secure additional capacity over and above what we have from whatever means we can find in order to address this backlog, which is our main concern for people.