Cervical Cancer Vaccination Programme
Order of Business
Senator Ivana Bacik: I support and will, if necessary, second the amendment proposed to the Order of Business by Senator Fitzgerald on the need for a debate on the Government U-turn on the cervical cancer vaccination programme. The impressive and inspiring Nobel prize-winning scientist who spoke on “Morning Ireland” today concluded that the vaccination programme would save lives. This makes clear what the Government’s reversal of policy means for women and young girls. Women, anyone with an interest in public health promotion and all those who have young daughters should be supportive of the need for a reversal of the Government’s reversal and a return to the Minister for Health and Children’s original position of three months ago that the programme would be rolled out next year. A debate is needed.
I am pleased to announce I will speak at a feminist open forum protest at 2 p.m. on Saturday at the spire on O’Connell Street. We ask people to come forward and express their opposition to the Government’s reversal.
I want to ask the Deputy Leader whether he will support the protest in opposition to the postponement of the roll-out of the vaccination programme.
Will the Deputy Leader clarify something the Leader said in the House on Tuesday in response to my question about the Climate Protection Bill which, as Members know, is before the House? Its resumed debate is extremely topical, particularly in light of the recent shocking report on pollution levels in Ireland by the Environmental Protection Agency. I want to ask the Deputy Leader for clarification as to when precisely in the spring the Leader proposes to resume the debate on this Bill. The Leader said on Tuesday that early in the next session, in the spring, he would have the Bill come back to the House. I want to ask the Deputy Leader to confirm also that Government time will be given to debate the Climate Protection Bill, to resume Second Stage and move it on, because that was what had originally been agreed in October last year when the Bill was first debated before the House. Clearly the need for its debate has become more pressing and urgent in the light of recent reports.