Health Minister rejects critics' 'revisionism' over free smear test re-checks

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Health Minister Simon Harris have been forced to deny CervicalCheck officials warned them that offering free smear test re-checks would severely damage the service - accusing critics of being involved in "revisionism".

Mr Varadkar and Mr Harris rejected the claims and accused others of causing the damage after CervicalCheck's ex-clinical director insisted she and her officials told the Department of Health of the risk hours before the plan was announced.

At the height of the cervical cancer tests crisis last year, the Government said any woman who believed she may have been given an incorrect test result would be able to receive a second test for free.

While the move was intended to address widespread national concern at the scale of the crisis and was broadly welcomed at the time, it has since been the subject of repeated claims the level of tests has severely damaged the existing service.

At the Oireachtas health committee ex-Cervical Check clinical director Dr Gráinne Flannelly, who was forced to step down over the original tests scandal, said she told the Department of the dangers of the free tests roll-out.

Dr Flannelly specifically said she warned the Department that GPs would not be able to be paid, labs used by CervicalCheck would not have the capacity to cope with demand and that the free tests plan would "fundamentally" undermine the service.

However, despite Dr Flannelly's confirmation the Government was urged not to go ahead with the plan, Mr Varadkar and Mr Harris today rejected the fresh allegations.

At a media briefing in Dublin, Health Minister Simon Harris said "the facts don't change" and insisted he was never told not to go ahead with the free smear test re-checks scheme.

He said some individuals are taking part in "revisionism" to avoid any blame for what happened, before later clarifying he was referring to politicians and not Dr Flannelly or CervicalCheck officials.

He said:

"There's a lot of revisionism going, respectfully in the media and by politicians. Let's remember the time that this was. We had lost all confidence in the service. I've no interest in engaging in tit-for-tat. When we're talking about revisionism we're talking about politicians who called for repeat smear tests."

In the Dáil, Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin raised Dr Flannelly's committee comments, telling Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that his and Mr Harris's positions have been "undermined".

Mr Martin said the evidence shows "the decision by the Minister for Health to offer free tests has now clearly damaged the programme". He called on Mr Varadkar to order Mr Harris to appear before the Dáil to answer more questions.

However, Mr Varadkar rejected the demand, saying: "The damage to the programme wasn't done by the Minister, but by the non-disclosure scandal. Those officials you quoted were at the centre of it... Remember what you said about these people on May 1, you said they were cold and calculating, may have been involved in a conspiracy."