Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

While this issue is about protecting women's health it is also a class issue in that women living in areas of disadvantage will now be three times more likely to get cervical cancer than the average person. These are the young women who will lose out because of this decision. People who can afford to pay will be able to access the vaccination and people who cannot pay will suffer, which is unacceptable. I do not think even the Minister believes this is acceptable. It is disappointing the Minister has not prioritised this issue.

The Government's record in regard to early detection and diagnosis of cancer is abysmal. BreastCheck has not as yet been fully rolled out. Our extraordinary limited roll-out in terms of cervical cancer screening dates back to the Rainbow Coalition and the cancer strategy. There has not been, up to now, a commitment in regard to the roll-out of the screening programme. In this instance, however, we have a vaccination programme that will prevent rather than detect cervical cancer. Our record, even in tough times, has been good in terms of vaccination programmes for children. One need only recall in this regard Dr. Kathleen Lynn of St. Ultan's Hospital. During the 1930s and 1940s, a time when there was no money in this country, children were given the BCG vaccination. We are now saying, in 2008, that young women cannot be vaccinated because the Government has too many Ministers of State. We have 21 Ministers of State costing, salaries aside, €500,000. Yet, we cannot find the €10 million required to implement this programme which will prevent young women from getting cervical cancer. This is not acceptable.

I urge the Minister to reconsider her announcement in this regard. I do not believe anyone would blame her if she were to say she was sorry and admit that she got it wrong; they would applaud her for it. We all appreciate the difficult economic times in which we now live but to deny young women and children this opportunity to protect themselves is wrong. We often speak of death by a thousand cuts, this is death by one cut, one cutback that will affect the lives of many women. These women's lives could be saved if the Minister reverses this appalling decision.

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