Mr. Jim Breslin:

Since the programme was introduced in 2008, 1,200 invasive cancers were identified through the programme and more than 50,000 women with high grade abnormalities have been diagnosed and treated. That does not fully answer the question because obviously many of them would be cancer free now, but some of them would have gone on to be unsuccessful in their treatment. However, one can see the sheer numbers that have been detected by the programme, with women being identified either for follow-up or for treatment. That has contributed to the mortality reduction, identified by Dr. McKenna, that we have achieved as a country in this area. There is no doubt that at the population level this programme has been hugely successful. That is not to take from the individual issues that have arisen, but I do not believe anybody would question that the decision in 2008 to develop a national approach to cervical cancer was the correct thing to do.