James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

On 5 August the Minister, Deputy Harney, announced that she had asked the HSE to prepare and submit a plan for the introduction of the HPV vaccination programme for 12 year old girls to commence in September 2009. She stated that she had considered all the advice available to her of the potential public health benefits of the HPV vaccination in the prevention of cervical cancer and the wider policy implications of its possible introduction into the national immunisation programme. She said:

I accept the expert advice that the introduction of a universal, high uptake, vaccination programme for young girls, in conjunction with population based cervical screening, could significantly reduce overall cervical cancer rates. I intend to seek Government approval for the programme and for the required funding in the autumn based on the implementation of a plan that can be shown to be cost-effective, in terms of delivery costs and uptake rates.

She went on to say "It is clear the main priority now is to move to the introduction of the vaccination programme for 12 year old girls to commence in Sept 2009". It is worth noting that this was only a month after the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance had met in July and examined the financial situation in which the country had found itself.

Furthermore, the Minister has told the country that she circulated this news on the day that the country was consumed with events in America. I had tabled parliamentary question to her and I wish that all parliamentary questions I table were answered with such efficiency and speed.

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