Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I will not speak of deadlines. The middle of the year is what I have been told. I do not announce dates unless I can meet them. Deputy Reilly attended the launch of this year's Estimates on budget day when we were going through the moneys allocated to health. He was there and he was welcome. I stated on that occasion that it would not be January, February or March because until we knew the budget allocation was available the national screening service was not in a position to enter into contracts with anybody, either the providers of laboratory services or general practitioners. This will be a general practitioner-led service, as Deputy Reilly knows, and that is why it will be so accessible on a countrywide basis.

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