Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 13 February 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

CervicalCheck Screening Programme Update: Discussion

My question relates to the laboratories, the adverse coverage that occurred here, and the discussion that is in the public domain on this matter. It also concerns the legal issues that have occurred. In dealing with the laboratories now, what kind of relationship do we have in our engagement with them and getting the work done? Are there alternative laboratories available if, for any reason, one of these laboratories decides that it does not want to take on new work? Where are we with this issue? Is there a plan B, in case a laboratory decides to opt out of any new work? The Department and the HSE have already outlined that we do not have capacity in this country to deal with it. How would we then deal with that situation if one of the laboratories decided to opt out at this stage?