MINISTER FOR Health Mary Harney has rejected criticism that the Cabinet reshuffle was not radical enough and said Taoiseach Brian Cowen had made “lots of significant changes”.
Ms Harney said many Ministers such as Dermot Ahern, Brian Lenihan and Micheál Martin had taken on new positions.
Mary Coughlan’s appointment was significant and she would be a “terrific” Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms Harney said. “And Minister Brian Lenihan has had a terrific rise in terms of his ministerial career to the ministry of finance which is such an important job at any time, but particularly at a time when there are challenges facing the economy,” she added.
She said she was very happy to continue in her role as Minister for Health and enjoyed the challenge of health reform. “I want to see it through and I am very pleased to have the confidence of the Taoiseach in my reappointment and the support of the Taoiseach and the Government.”
She was speaking after she addressed the sixth international cancer conference at Dublin Castle yesterday. Ms Harney told the conference that the cervical cancer vaccine would be introduced this summer, alongside the cervical cancer screening programme, at a cost of €70 million a year. Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women under 45, claiming 70 lives a year.
Ms Harney said there was no alternative to the cancer control programme being led by Prof Tom Keane. The centralisation of cancer services has been strongly opposed by patients in regions such as Sligo. She said the outcome for breast cancer patients improved by 20-25 per cent when they were were treated in specialist centres.
