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Updated 5.30pm
MINISTER FOR HEALTH Simon Harris has today said that he was “very disappointed and frustrated” at concerns raised by Minister Finian McGrath about the HPV vaccine. However he stated that, after conversations with his colleague, he is reassured that McGrath “fully supports” the programme.
McGrath, a super junior minister at the Department of Health and a member of the Independent Alliance, has come under fire for his stance on the rollout of the vaccine. The Irish Cancer Society described the TD’s stance as “dangerous and irresponsible”.
Yesterday, McGrath released a statement about the situation, after a report in the Sunday Times said he called for the vaccine, Gardasil, to be banned before he was appointed to Cabinet last year. He had raised concerns over the vaccine when in opposition last year.
“I stand over the fact that I raised it because concerned parents asked me to raise it,” McGrath said in the wake of the publication of the Times article.
HPV, which can be contracted by physical contact, particularly sexual contact, can lead to a number of cancers, including cervical, penile, throat and anal cancers in men and women.
The seven-year-old vaccine programme to protect girls against contracting HPV has seen uptake rates fall from 90% at its peak to 50% last year – prompting strong warnings from the HSE.
As this FactCheck from TheJournal.ie found, all scientific evidence – in Ireland and internationally – has pointed towards the vaccine being very effective and very safe. However, campaign groups have questioned the safety of the vaccine, claiming it has caused illnesses in hundreds of teenage girls and young women in Ireland.
McGrath comments
While condemning his comments, government ministers are also defending McGrath, stressing that they believe that he is on board with the government’s support of the vaccine.
“He has assured me as Health Minister that he fully supports the vaccination programme and I’m very pleased that this lunchtime he’s made contact with the Irish Cancer Society to convey his support for the vaccination programme,” Harris told reporters today.
Earlier, Minister for Education Richard Bruton said that he did not believe McGrath should resign from the Department of Health after raising the concerns.
Speaking at an event in Dublin, Bruton said that he was confident McGrath had “corrected the impression that was put out there that he was in some way opposed to this approach”.
Bruton dismissed any concerns about the safety of the vaccine:
I think Finian did make comments in opposition when he raised concerns but I think the government is absolutely satisfied that those concerns are without foundation.
McGrath said in his statement yesterday that he stood over concerns raised to him by concerned parents, but added that he accepted that “such vaccines are a very important part of government health strategy”.
His stance was described as irresponsible” by the Irish Cancer Society, and “extremely damaging” by Labour’s Alan Kelly.
The Irish Cancer Society said that the Dublin Bay North TD “needs to take responsibility” and must “publicly make clear his full and unwavering support for the national HPV vaccination programme”.
It said that all scientific evidence pointed to the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, and that it was incumbent on all government ministers to take a unified approach to ensure that “the uptake rate of the life-saving HPV vaccine is increased and to ensure misinformation about the vaccine is dispelled”.
Today Bruton said that the government’s position on the vaccine is “very clear”.
That the evidence is very strong and that this programme should be fully supported, and will be fully supported, by every member of government.
Speaking to RTÉ News yesterday, McGrath said:
“We [referring to Harris] have different views but we are very united on the whole issue of public safety and the safety of the vaccines.
My emphasis is, as well as having safety, we need to ensure that questions are constantly asked in relation to medicines and vaccines that come on the market. That’s my job as an independent. I’m probably slightly different in relation to that aspect of it.
He said that would continue to ask questions, but was supportive of the government’s HPV vaccine campaign.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today, Alan Kelly said McGrath had been “irresponsible in the extreme”.
“As a Minister in the Department of Health, the amount of commentary he has now generated is completely irresponsible for someone in his position to generate.
I find it extraordinary that he’s admitting there in that clip that he has a different position to the Minister as regards the vaccine and getting advice… I’m not 100% convinced he’s in favour of this vaccine.
Every year in Ireland, 300 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer – and of that number 90 women will die of the disease. It’s hoped that HPV could eventually be eradicated if uptake rates are maintained at high levels – but uptake is decreasing.
Bruton today said that the decrease “is putting young women at risk unnecessarily”.
On Wednesday last, the HSE launched an information pack and website about the vaccine aimed at reversing the decline in the number of girls getting it. The HSE said the decline was due to the spread of misinformation.
With reporting from Gráinne Ní Aodha, Orla Ryan and Sinead Baker.
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Great news story, a lovely read for a Friday :-)
Fair play to them.
who would thumbs down that comment, wankers!
Fair play lads, I wish you much success.
Thats the sort of innovation Ireland needs.
And they have to leave Ireland, wish they could of stayed in Ireland
Congrats to @patrickc and brother John Collison @collision on latest $18m funding!
This isn’t Twitter you know
Delighted to see these two brothers getting on so well.I am sure they will go far. Fair dews to them.
Fair dues
I stand corrected
They deserve it. Their main product has removed one of the last barriers to market for anyone setting up a new business or wanting to operate a small business. Brillant.
Spot on Peter.
Couldn’t be happier about this. Great people, great product, great investment.
Really amazing entrepreneurial spirit but wish it could have been further developed in Ireland rather than California :)
Why can’t we make it attractive for guys like that to start up/ keep their business in Ireland . What are the politicians doing??
I dont think it can be entirely blamed on politicians..I dont think Ireland has the same startup environment that california has…and I think its a lot to do with our attitude towards entrepreneurs…and lack of VC funding perhaps..I think to imitate an environment like california, Ireland needs a spark, and for lots of people to take risks, both on their own ideas and on other peolpes…and also to think big, these guys obviously have done that but id say they are one of very few in Ireland. Maybe the draw of having like minded people around is what took them to the US?
First time I’ve ever seen a story on the Journal without a single “thumbs down” good work lads.
of course just as I send my comment…………ah well, still a great story
Great news hope it goes well for the young men,best of luck,it’s what Ireland needs at these times
Chris money doesn’t buy genius it’s fairly obvious these boys are something special really proud of them all do I don’t know them
Congratulations to them ! It’s a shame they couldn’t be incorporated in Ireland and employ Irish people, but the truth of the matter is that our universities are not producing graduates of the calibre required to start a tech company and guide it to success .
A corollary to that is the total funding vacuum that exists for tech startups in Ireland , whether it is venture or angel investment. Enterprise Ireland lack the domain knowledge required – a software startup costs peanuts to fund initially ; most of the cost goes on rent and food but EI and their ilk want to give you way more money than you need in exchange for way more equity than you want to give away, on top of ridiculous conditions like needing to hire a minimum number of people and spend a minimum amount which you will then be reimbursed for.
We will never have a so called smart economy if this doesn’t change and we will continue to produce mickey mouse companies that turn a tiny profit and hire a tiny amount of staff.
I don’t agree 100% with the calibre of graduates in Ireland. i think that the problem is more so the numbers of people doing IT/science subjects. There are some pretty smart people coming out of some pretty good courses at the moment but nowhere near enough.
Very well said Eric. The government should make it easier for the existing it contract development community to setup business and go it alone. I have 12 years experience lots of good ideas but I can’t take s year off ti try something without
Free office rent
A grant of about 45 k a year
And free access to broad band and hardware
Give me that enda and in 5 years I would employ at least 5 if not mire people
The thumbs down on the site is getting a bit ridiculous.
@ Chris Gardner – Your very much mistaken these guys went to a public school in Limerick, if their parents wanted elite education for them they could have sent them to Glenstal not far away. The only downfall with this type of talent in Ireland is that we don’t know how to nurture them past the R&D stage. These guys are in the mould of Gates & Zuckerberg,just a shame we couldn’t keep them but the v best of luck to them.
These Brothers while they deserve their hard work it must be pointed out that they came from an enormously priveleged family with basically unlimited resources. They were destined to do well getting every and all help along the way. Not the story of the vast majority of irish young men. As I said I am thrilled they are doing well but I and millions like me never had these priveleges growing or resources. Its a pity all Irish school goers do not get the same equalities and indeed come to school facing enormous disadvantages, We won’t be reading about them anytime soon.
Well done lads.
There should be a http://www.coderdojo.com in every town/village in the country! Time to ditch fable studies and get programming languages into schools!
OMG lads yis are a legend, well done, I’m as proud of you both as if I were your mother! Wonderful…
They’re set up for life then! Well done to them!
Congratulations to you both
The very highest levels of protection must be provided for intellectual property such as this for the most obvious of reasons. I’m certain that the naysayers and petty critics who believe that it’s acceptable practice to thieve from owners of such valuable property will slink to the sidelines while these young lads bask in well deserved glory.
Fantastic achievement lads…well done!
Your welcome Palo Alto, California.
“You’re welcome” dummy
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