The Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB) has defended its decision to retrospectively accredit a laboratory that it did not even know existed was operational for an extended period of time.

An unaccredited Manchester laboratory that screened more than 90,000 smears without the knowledge or approval of CervicalCheck should be the focus of an ongoing expert review of the screening history of women with cervical cancer, patient representatives have said.

Dairy farmers can be confident that independent milk testing in Ireland is to the highest international standard, claims Ireland East MEP Máiréad McGuinness.