Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will ask the HSE to correspond directly with the health committee on that. I thank the Deputy for reminding me that I have been assured that women who have been referred for colposcopy are triaged. It is an important reassurance for many that I am happy to record in the House. Deputy Louise O'Reilly paid tribute to Vicky Phelan and others and I join her in doing so. The Deputy asked about the HPV secondary test and I think I have set out the position to Deputy Donnelly. Deputy O'Reilly asked the fair question as to what I was doing and what everyone else was doing proactively to deal with the backlog. It is often forgotten, which is why I state it for the record of the House, that there are weekly or near-weekly update reports on all of our activity on CervicalCheck being published on my Department's website after steering committees, which include patient representatives, meet. The reports provide a running update on all of the challenges, including in relation to the backlog. The HSE is constantly speaking with the laboratories we use and other laboratories to try to find more capacity. Of that, there is genuinely no doubt. However, it is somewhat missed, albeit not necessarily by Deputy O'Reilly, that the first priority must be to ensure we keep the screening programme going. Things came within a couple of days if not hours of not having screening continue in Ireland. As such, it was rightly the HSE's first priority. However, it has absolutely sought extra capacity. Deputy O'Reilly made the point about outsourcing which a number of Members made. She did not suggest outsourcing was dangerous or anything like that. Dr. Scally looked at the issue and while I do not have his exact words in front of me, he said it was appropriate to continue to use the laboratories. As we move towards HPV testing and the like, there will be an opportunity to look at what more we can or should be doing in Ireland. It is a decision we will have to take in due course.

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