Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Health and Children how she will ensure that the skills-base in cytology laboratory screening will be maintained in the context of the decision of the National Cancer Screening Service to award the entire contract for screening to one company, based outside Ireland, for the next two years at least; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22155/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) will shortly implement a quality assured national population based screening programme, so that preventable deaths from cervical cancer among women can be avoided. The NCSS has announced a preferred bidder for the provision of laboratory testing services for the National Cervical Screening Programme. This is an important milestone which will enable the NCSS to launch the first quality assured, population based National Cervical Screening Programme for women in Ireland aged 25-60 years.

The Faculty of Pathology, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) has a responsibility for postgraduate medical education and training of pathologists in Ireland. The NCSS met with the Faculty and agreed to a collaborative working relationship in order to identify solutions to issues raised in relation to proposed provision of cytology services in laboratories abroad. The RCPI supports the implementation of the National Cervical Screening Programme and the goal of reducing waiting times for smear test results.

The HSE has undertaken a review of its laboratory medicine services. I welcome steps that are being taken by certain HSE funded laboratories to secure accreditation. I believe that if all those involved work together in partnership there is scope to provide high quality and cost effective services within HSE funded laboratories. The National Hospitals Office (NHO) of the HSE has a commitment to its staff currently employed in cytology services, and has met with their representative. Any decisions regarding reassignment of employees will be addressed after the National Cancer Screening Service has completed the procurement process for cytology services.