Dr. Lorraine Doherty:

I want to clarify the issue concerning the laboratories we use in the United States.

We know exactly now which laboratories are processing the work that is coming from the Irish screening programme. There are five laboratories involved, and the headquarters are in Teterboro, New Jersey. As recently as November, a team from the HSE visited those laboratories on a formal quality assurance visit, and the reason I raise this issue is that I want to reassure women who are coming for screenings that they are getting a quality screening from this laboratory. The laboratory has made a number of vast improvements in the quality of service it delivers. It has worked very closely with us on aligning our testing processes and in complying with our quality assurance guidelines. It has expertly trained staff who are participating in formal education and CPD programmes. It has standardised quality measures right across the five laboratories that provide the service for us. It has meetings with us on a weekly basis by teleconference and we have face to face meetings four times a year. We have a very good working relationship with it around the quality of the service, and we are content with the quality of the service being provided to the women in the programme from these laboratories at this time.