Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

I have only a few points to make and I do not propose to repeat or labour the arguments already made. Previously, I worked for a time in the gynaecologic oncology services in St. James's Hospital and I know something of cervical cancer. I have treated patients who subsequently died from the disease. I have seen the extent to which it is a horribly mutilating disease. I have also seen young women lose fertility and the opportunity to have a family following the removal of the womb to which the cancer had spread. Aside from those who get cervical cancer, there are women who must face repeat smears, attend for colposcopies and letts procedures, and who must go through all the stress and anxiety involved in these procedures. I think of them tonight in this debate.

The gardasil and cervarix human papilloma virus vaccines were mentioned in the debate last night. This is another example of unnecessary inequity. Those who can afford it may visit their general practitioner and pay a fee of €100 or €150 and then pay a further €300 for the vaccine. I do not know if those figures are exact, but they are roughly correct. However, this is not the case for people from poorer backgrounds. The vaccine is not available under the general medical services scheme in the same way that the contraceptive pill, viagra, augmetin and so on are available. Will the Minister make the vaccine available under the general medical services scheme, at least for this year, for parents who wish to see their daughters vaccinated? This would go some way to resolving the issue.

Although I do not receive any remuneration for it, I work in general practice and I encounter young women at high risk. These women start sexual activity at a young age, perhaps at 15 or 16 years. They do not use protection and all I can offer them, because they generally come from poor backgrounds, is the contraceptive pill or the depot, so they do not get pregnant. I cannot offer them a vaccine to protect them from getting the human papilloma virus or cervical cancer later on because I know they cannot afford it. I do not think that is right, and if she can do anything tonight, she should at least give a commitment that the vaccine will be available on the GMS until it becomes part of the screening programme.

Another issue not mentioned tonight is the impact on boys. HPV is not just responsible for cervical cancer, cancer of the vulva and so on. It is also responsible for genital warts and is implicated in anal cancer and cancer of the penis. We should not forget that boys are also affected by this and any inaction on HPV puts them at greater risk. The vaccine is licensed for boys in the UK, although it is not part of the national screening programme for them. For some reason, boys are always forgotten during health debates.

For the doctors in the House, Deputy McDaid has been given some credit for abstaining on this issue. He will probably get a bit of publicity and will come out the winner for it, but women and everyone else will be the losers. If he was more sincere about it he would cross the floor, but there are other doctors on that side of the House. Deputy O'Hanlon and the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, have a strong understanding of this issue and it is very disappointing that they have not decided to vote against the Government on this occasion, or even to abstain.

I am an admirer of the Minister, Deputy Harney. She has been an excellent Minister. She has shown courage, leadership and much honesty in her political career. I do not want to make a personalised attack on her. She has not reformed the health service, but unlike many of her predecessors, she has tried. However, on this occasion she has not tried. She could try a little bit harder and find the €10 million needed for this vaccine, or at least make it available on the GMS for the interim period. I commend the motion to the House.

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