Dáil debates

Thursday, 9 May 2019

9:50 am

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It was exactly because of the Deputy's last point that I decided to bring in a free repeat smear test. People on a TD's income and the like could have afforded to go to the doctor and pay for a repeat smear test. Some of the Deputy's constituents would not have been able to do that, however, and I was not going to allow an apartheid to exist in relation to reassurance. The circumstances of the free repeat smear test have been well documented but the Deputy and I have a different view despite the fact that many Members across the House called for its introduction at the time. Such is political life.

The Deputy asked what I am doing to restore confidence in the screening programme. The clinical audit did not happen during my tenure as Minister for Health, nor did many of the challenges arise. However, the issue blew up during my time but it is my job to fix it and to work with the Deputy in that regard. We are going to eradicate cervical cancer in our country within a generation. That is not pie in the sky, it is something that has been done effectively in other jurisdictions. It will be done in Ireland through screening, HPV testing, the introduction of the HPV vaccination for boys, the promotion of vaccination by all Members of the House and, hopefully, the end of the silly nonsense and scaremongering of some Members against the life-saving vaccine and CervicalCheck. We are implementing the recommendations of the Dr. Scally report, namely the 120 actions which - I accept Deputy Murphy O'Mahony's bona fides and passion on the issue - will genuinely give us a world-class screening programme which will continue to build on the progress CervicalCheck has made since its introduction in 2008 on foot of a brave decision by Fianna Fáil in government which has helped to save lives.

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