Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The introduction of HPV testing is not being long-fingered but it is going to be done properly in order to ensure that transition works and that we do not add any further uncertainty in regard to CervicalCheck in the future. This decision is not going to be rushed. The work is already under way to make sure this transition happens in a way that is seamless and that works. We are not in a position to give an exact date as to when that will happen. We are in a position to say the money is there to do that this year, and there is a process under way and a team working on that to make sure it is done.

What we are doing to focus on a backlog and waiting times that are far too long is to increase capacity, where that is possible. It is not a straightforward thing to increase lab capacity overnight. Decisions had to be made in response to what was a crisis at the time, where-----

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