Mr. Damien McCallion:

On the laboratories and audit visits, Dr. Scally visited all the laboratories in the programme, including historical and current laboratories. As Members are aware, on the two current laboratories he concluded that we could continue to use those laboratories and extend their contracts.

He also made recommendations. There are four specific recommendations in his report regarding quality assurance, which includes quality assurance of laboratories. One of his key observations, rather than recommendations, regarded the lack of a cytopathologist in the programme being a deficit. We advertised for candidates for that position. We advertised it before Dr Scally's report as we knew there was a gap. We have been unsuccessful in that recruitment and have extended the date. We are now in discussions with a person overseas on a particular contract in an attempt to recruit a candidate to the position, which is critical.

We have appointed a quality and risk manager to the programme who is addressing three of Dr. Scally's four recommendations on the quality assurance structures. We expect that work to be completed before the end of the year, which would mean that visits to the laboratories could begin in the new year. Under the new model, such visits would take place on an annual basis. Previously, there was a significant gap between visits. Dr. Scally made a recommendation or observation in that regard on which we have acted. Dr. Scally visited all of the laboratories. He is also carrying out follow-up work commissioned by the Department relating to one of the historical laboratories in the United States which may be the laboratory to which the Deputy referred.