Following the decision by the Minister for Health not to introduce the cervical cancer vaccine, Independent MEP Marian Harkin expressed her disappointment but also emphasised that this underlined the need for every single woman to attend for cervical screening under the CervicalCheck Programme.

This is the National Cervical Screening Programme which provides smear test to women from the age 25 - 60. According to Marian Harkin "Ireland is very late in putting a cervical screening programme in place, indeed some European countries are 40 years ahead of us. Still we want to ensure that every woman in Ireland can avail of the life saving services now in place.

"It is very important not to throw out the baby with the bath water. Of course the introduction of the cervical cancer vaccine alongside the National Screening Programme would have improved the outcomes for women in respect of cervical cancer and its withdrawal is a setback. Still the most important thing is to ensure positive outcomes for women and my advice is use the service that is there, don't wait, don't assume you are too young or too old or just put it on the long finger. "Screening saves lives" that's the simple message, vaccines improve your chances but given that they will not be part of the programme it is absolutely crucial for women that we make the very best of the programmes we have. We need to hammer home the message. "Screening saves lives" again and again. As politicians we have a duty to women to give the best advice even in the current less than "best practice" circumstances. "Use what is there and lobby for better is my message" on this issue Marian Harkin concluded