Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 409: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will take steps to ensure the National Cancer Screening Service protects women's right to self refer to their general practitioner for their free cervical smear test under the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37922/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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CervicalCheck commenced on 1 September 2008. Under the Programme women aged 25 - 44 will be screened every 3 years and women aged 45 - 60 will be screened every 5 years. For the first year CervicalCheck operated on an open access system of screening. However, from September 2009, in line with best international practice, CervicalCheck changed from that open access entry system to an organised call, re-call system of invitation. This change will ensure that an effective and efficient population approach to screening that maximises target population coverage is maintained.

CervicalCheck has a national register of women aged 25 to 60. Over each screening round, all eligible women aged 25 to 60 will be invited for screening and invitation letters will be issued to women evenly across all age ranges.

The criteria for eligibility under the Programme are clearly set out on the CervicalCheck website. Any woman who has not had a smear test in the last three years can opt into the Programme simply by registering online, by completing and returning a form by Freepost, or by calling CervicalCheck on Freephone1800 45 45 55 to request an invitation. Certain women are eligible for a free smear test without a CervicalCheck invitation letter. These include women aged over 60 who have never had a smear test and women of any age post colposcopy.

Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 410: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason the CervicalCheck changed their procedure from 1 September 2009 requiring women who have never had a cervical check smear test to require a letter of invitation from CervicalCheck to have a free smear test; if international best practice was considered before this decision was made; if this decision will result in budget savings; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37923/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The matters raised by the Deputy are the responsibility of the National Cancer Screening Service. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Chief Executive Officer of the Service to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the matters raised.

Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 411: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the amount spent by her Department and CervicalCheck, the National Cancer Screening Programme, on their advertising and publicity campaigns for CervicalCheck in 2008 and to date in 2009; the main aims of the publicity campaign; if the main aim of the campaign was to encourage women in the target age group to make appointments themselves; the way the recent changes, that will require a letter of invitation, will impact on this publicity campaign; the projected budget for a publicity campaign for 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37924/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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My Department has not spent any money on advertising for CervicalCheck. As uptake levels have remained high under the Programme, my Department advised the National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) in May this year that advertising should cease in order to focus scarce resources on service delivery. The NCSS is confident that it will reach its annual target of screening 240,000 women per year under CervicalCheck through the operation of a call-recall system which was put in place with effect from 1 September 2009.

Neither the NCSS Budget, nor its Service Plan for 2010 have been agreed.

The other issues raised by the Deputy are the responsibility of the NCSS. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Chief Executive Officer of the Service to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to these matters.