Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
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Question 400: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when the cervical screening programme which has been piloted at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick will be rolled out on a national basis; the time line she envisages and the sequence of the regions where the programme will be initiated; the moneys allocated to the programme in 2007, 2008 and 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9680/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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An effective national cervical screening programme will result in a substantial reduction in the incidence of cervical cancer. It is my objective to have such a programme rolled out, beginning late this year, based on an affordable model. For that purpose, on 1 January 2007, I established a National Cancer Screening Service which amalgamates BreastCheck and the Irish Cervical Screening Programme at the end of this year.

The total allocation to the new Service is €33m; this is a 71% increase on the 2006 allocation to the Programmes. This includes additional funding of €5m for 2007 to the Service to commence roll out of the Cervical Screening Programme. I will make available adequate resources for the programme in future years which will be included in the annual Estimates process.

Significant preparatory work is well under way involving the introduction of new and improved cervical tests, improved quality assurance training and the preparation of a national population register. The plan is to have cervical screening managed as a national call/recall programme via effective governance structures that provide overall leadership and direction, in terms of quality assurance, accountability and value for money. All elements of the programme, call/recall, smear taking, laboratories, colposcopy and treatment services will be quality assured, organised and managed to deliver a single integrated national programme. Accordingly, the Service is not planning to roll out the programme incrementally on a regional basis.