Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 161: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason the free cervical smear programme available to traveller women in Ballyfermot was withdrawn two years ago and has not been reinstated since; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this successful programme had an estimated uptake rate of 90% of traveller women eligible in the Tallaght, Clondalkin, Lucan and Ballyfermot areas; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27046/07]

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 162: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will request the Health Service Executive to reinstate the free cervical smear programme for traveller women in Ballyfermot, and expand it to Clondalkin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27047/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 161 and 162 together.

The National Cancer Screening Service is planning to roll out the National Cervical Screening Programme on a national basis early next year. I have allocated additional revenue funding of €5.0m to the Service this year for this purpose and an additional 30 posts have been approved. Women aged 25 to 44 years old will be screened every 3 years; women aged 45 to 60 will be screened every 5 years. The Service is planning 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 service.

The specific questions raised by the Deputy regarding cervical screening for Traveller women in Ballyfermot relate to the management and delivery of health, personal and social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the matter raised.