Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I assure people that no concerns have been raised about the operation or value of the cervical screening process. It identified 50,000 cases in which there needed to be detailed information and saved 1,000 lives as a result of that work. The quality and worth of the clinical smear testing regime have not been thrown into question. Rather, what has been revealed is a problem with disclosure. It is important to distinguish between the two.

The centres where evaluations take place have been audited and found to meet international standards. Dr. Scally will need to look beneath those audits to provide additional assurance on the situation, but none of these documents has raised questions about the value of clinical screening. We are moving to a better test, namely, the HPV test, which will have a lower error rate. The Government is committed to doing that. I would not like the Deputy's comments to be construed as meaning there is some cloud over the value of clinical screening.

The payments to the former public servant will be in line with the contract under which he was employed.

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