The Minister for Health Simon Harris has seemingly come under scrutiny once again after it was claimed in the Dáil this morning that he was advised not to offer free smear tests in wake of the CervicalCheck scandal.
According to RTÉ News, Minister Harris has denied that he was made aware of a scenario were a potential backlog problem at laboratories across the country could occur.
However despite denying knowledge of the information, Minister Harris has been accused of misleading the Dail for a second time after clinical lead Dr Grainne Flannery, claims that she made her concerns known to Minister Harris last April.
It is claimed that Dr Flannery told Minister Harris that the HSE’s offer of smear tests could potentially create a backlog as laboratories across the country wouldn’t be able to handle the vast increase in samples.
The later developments has led to Fianna Fáil’s health spokesperson Stephen Donnelly, to criticise Minister Harris, by stating that the Health Minister has misled the Dail for a second time.
Donnelly also said Dr Flannery’s statement contradicts that of the health minister.