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

All of us in the House will acknowledge and know that cervical cancer is a terrible disease that causes the death of many women and results in life-changing surgery for many others. We also know that cervical screening works and that the number of women who have cervical cancer has fallen for many years as a result of a successful screening programme and the introduction of the HPV vaccine by the previous Government, of which I was a member. Our objective over the next couple of years is to make cervical cancer a rare disease and virtually eliminate it in the period ahead.

We will do so in three ways, namely, promoting the uptake of the HPV vaccine by girls; extending the HPV vaccine to boys, as we intend to do this year; and improving cervical screening by moving from the current test to the primary HPV test, which we will do as soon as possible, and we will be among the first countries to do it. I cannot provide a date for the Deputy and I acknowledge that he has asked the question previously. The dates I was given in the past by the Department of Health and CervicalCheck were not deliverable and, therefore, I will not commit to a date until I have confidence again that it can be delivered.

The free out-of-cycle smear tests were offered because a large number of women were concerned that their smear tests were wrong. They sought reassurance from their GPs and the helpline, and a decision was made to offer a repeat smear test out of cycle to give tens of thousands of women who were concerned about the accuracy of their smear tests the reassurance they sought. It was called for by a number of Opposition Deputies, as the record shows. When it was decided upon, it was welcomed by some medical bodies, including the National Association of General Practitioners and the Irish Medical Organisation, although it is true that some opposed it and warned of consequences. I understand from the Minister for Health that the chief medical officer supported the decision to extend the offer. While it has caused some problems and there is a backlog of slides awaiting analysis, that is due not only to the free tests but also to an increase in attendance for screening, which has continued even though the free out-of-cycle smear tests are no longer on offer and have not been for nearly two months. While the increased uptake in screening by women is to be welcomed, those two factors have led to a backlog and the HSE is working hard to clear it to return to the previous turnaround time of between four and six weeks.

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