Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

As the funeral of Shane Geoghegan takes place this morning, I will not raise the matter of crime as a mark of respect for this much respected young man.

However, I wish to mention a matter I raised last week with the Taoiseach and which is on today's Order Paper. I refer to the HPV cervical cancer vaccination programme for young girls. This programme was announced by the Minister for Health and Children last August. It involves a vaccination which has clearly been shown to prevent cervical cancer and, as a consequence, saves lives. The cost is €10 million. Members on the Taoiseach's side, notably Deputy McDaid, the Minister of State, Deputy McGuinness and, at certain times, the Minister for Health and Children herself have called for cross-party agreement on the issue of health. I do not really want to divide the House this evening on a matter in which there is incontrovertible evidence that the vaccination programme announced by the Government in August and now being withdrawn actually saves lives. Among the cohort of young girls across the country who were to be vaccinated under this programme, a number will inevitably die of cervical cancer.

The Minister for Health and Children says it is either the vaccination programme or the cervical screening programme. It is not; it is both. In this case, €10 million is required. I note the drug companies have said they would defer acceptance of payment until next year, if appropriate. The cost, therefore, would be an administrative charge of €30 per pupil. The Government is to spend more than €10 million — the cost of the entire programme — on advisers, press sections and so on this year. Does the Taoiseach accept that this vaccination programme actually works and that it has the capacity to save lives in years to come? I ask him to review this matter during the course of the day, taking into consideration the very small amount of money involved and the potential to save lives in the future, so that the House does not have to divide on an issue——

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