Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In the first instance, we should recall that cervical screening works. It saves lives. As a result of cervical screening, the incidence of cervical cancer in Ireland has fallen considerably in recent years. Fewer women die from cervical cancer and fewer women face life-changing operations or treatment. It is encouraging and welcome that the number of women attending for smear tests has increased over the past year, notwithstanding the screening controversy. The objective of the Government is to make cervical cancer a very rare disease such that it is almost eliminated. We will achieve that by improving screening through becoming one of the first countries in the world to move to the new primary HPV test and by promoting the uptake of the HPV vaccine by girls and extending it to boys for the first time this year. Those measures are programmed and funded for this year.

I acknowledge that there is significant anxiety and concern among tens of thousands of women who have had a smear test and are awaiting the result. When the programme was working at its best, women received a result within four to six weeks, but it now takes closer to four to six months. There are two reasons for the delay, namely, the general increased uptake in the number of women attending for smear tests, which has continued into this year even though the free test is no longer available, and the decision last year to offer a free test to any woman who wanted one on foot of a consultation with her GP. Those two factors have given rise to the backlog. We are doing everything we can to reduce it. Additional laboratory capacity is being sought. Laboratories are taking on extra staff and, where appropriate, staff are working overtime to speed up the analysis of the tests. We anticipate that the backlog will start to decrease, although it may take some time before we get back to results being received within four to six weeks.

It is worth acknowledging that although some doctors opposed the decision to offer a free smear test, others called for it, as did some patient advocates. It was one of the major concerns raised by women who called the free help and information line. The decision was welcomed by many patient advocates, the Irish Medical Organisation and many Opposition Deputies.

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