Dr. Colm Henry:

I welcome the Senator's comments on colposcopy staff. It is important to recognise the screening programmes are primarily about the women engaged in them. They will only be successful, however, if they have happy, engaged and supported staff, including not only colposcopists but also administrative staff. I visited the staff in Limerick on Monday. I pay tribute to them for their great resilience and for sticking with the programme over the past 18 months. The unit proved quite successful at holding on to staff in a period of markedly increased demand, not only in terms of the number of inquiries but also in terms of the nature of the interactions with the public. The Senator is quite right. To refer to what Dr. McKenna said, when we consider the needs of colposcopists and the sources of pressure on clinicians, the primary objective is to ascertain the supports they need to address the demand in their clinics. The past year has seen a remarkable increase in demand, not just through the screening service but also through direct referrals from GPs. With the support of Dr. McKenna and his colleagues, we have been seeking and securing funding for alternative pathways to ensure women can go to the right clinic for the first time and preserve the integrity of those clinics in respect of what their set-up is supposed to be.