Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

We need infrastructure in the health service and capital allowances have proven to be a very cost-effective way of delivering infrastructure, particularly in the nursing home sector. Very many patients are in private nursing homes that probably would not have been built if it were not for encouragement through the tax system. It is not a question of "either-or".

We cannot introduce the vaccine in the school year beginning in September 2009. It is hoped and intended that, pending financial circumstances, we will be in a position to introduce it very quickly thereafter. It is a belt-and-braces operation to have a vaccine and screening programme. They complement each other. The vaccine prevents certain strains but not all types of cervical cancer. Therefore, we must have the two approaches. It is not the case that one can stop the screening if one has the vaccine, as Deputy Enright said.

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