I seek an update on the length of time the results of regular smear tests are taking. I have been contacted by several women who took regular smear tests in October of last year. The results are taking up to 28 weeks, which is causing undue stress for those who are waiting. What plans are in place to reduce this lengthy wait?

This is a real priority for the Government and the Minister. In certain parts of the country, women have to wait far too long to get their results. The HSE has now secured additional laboratory facilities, which we are told can be used over the summer months to dramatically reduce those waiting times and return them to acceptable periods. The appropriate benchmark is a matter of weeks rather than months. I look forward to seeing progress on that. We have heard a lot of rhetoric on this issue and we must now secure the delivery of increased capacity at laboratory level to cut turnaround times dramatically over the summer months.