Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome members of the Air Corps to the House and commend them on their public service.

I raise the HPV cervical cancer vaccine and the reluctance of some people to immunise their children against cervical cancer. I agree with the sentiments expressed by Dr. Ciara Kelly in an article she wrote in the Irish Independentin which she stated we should celebrate on the streets that we have a vaccine against cancer. This is a medical breakthrough and the rate of take-up of the HPV vaccine should be 100%. The vaccine could save the lives of 250,000 women who die worldwide from cervical cancer each year and prevent 4.5% of all cancers globally because the HPV virus is also responsible for a large proportion of head and neck cancers. Each year in Ireland, more than 6,500 women need hospitalisation for pre-cancer of the cervix, 300 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 90 women die from the disease. The vaccine could prevent the majority of these deaths.

I also highlight how simple it is to arrange a cervical smear check-up. All one needs to do is enter one's date of birth and PPS number on the cervicalcheck.iewebsite and one is informed when one's cervical smear check is due and an appointment can then be co-ordinated. We need to start taking women's health more seriously and educate people to try to deter scaremongering campaigns that are limiting the take-up rates of the vaccine.

I also raise the scourge of drugs and drug abuse in towns and cities nationwide. The story of Carmel Kidney of Ballincollig in County Cork who lost three sons to drugs highlights the extreme tragedy and reality behind drug abuse. The loss of three sons leaving a heartbroken mother is a cruel reality that is reflected across cities and towns.I have previously raised in this House the issue of drug feuds. This heartbreaking scenario shows the human loss of the Government's failure to crack down and address both drug crime and the prevalence of drugs in towns and cities across the country. Those supplying drugs to our young people across Ireland must be stopped. We need a proper and open debate in this House about how we are going to deal with the scourge of drug-related deaths into the future and drug criminality. We need to discuss openly possibilities regarding legalisation or some form of regulation without accusations from different sides of this House. With the prevalence of new forms of drugs like Fentanyl where only seven tiny grains can deliver a lethal does and which is 100 times more potent than morphine and many times more potent than heroin, we need to think smart in terms of how we address this drugs crisis into the future and we need to start now.