Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004
754 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Question No. 332 of 2 March 2004 if he has encouraged the national cervical screening programme to participate in the proposed trial of the new molecular traffic light test (details supplied). [21395/04]
View answerA pilot cervical screening programme commenced in October 2000 in the Mid-Western Health Board region. Under the programme, cervical screening is being offered, free of charge, to approximately 74,000 women in the 25 to 60 age group, at five year intervals.
Screening tests in use under the programme are fully validated for use as population based screening tests and conform to international criteria, which also inform similar population screening programmes in other countries. The programme has advised my Department that the molecular traffic light test is not established to date as a population based screening test. Developments in testing, including the tests referred to by the Deputy, are kept under regular review by the programme.
