Scrapping of vaccine ‘will not cost lives’

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has insisted that the decision to scrap a planned cancer vaccination programme for 12-year-old girls will not cost lives.

He dismissed claims to the contrary by Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny as “emotional blackmail”, and told him: “I’m fed up listening to that sort of argument from you.”

But one of Mr Cowen’s own party members clearly disagreed with him, as Fianna Fáil TD Jim McDaid told the Dáil last night he could not support the Government on the issue and abstained on the vote.