Finian McGrath, the “super junior” minister for health, called for the withdrawal of Gardasil, a vaccine used in the battle against the cancer-causing human papilloma virus (HPV), just before he was appointed to cabinet last year.

McGrath, a member of the Independent Alliance, told The Sunday Times this weekend that he was not “rowing back” on his opposition to the vaccine. He said sustained criticism by groups opposed to the vaccination programme were driven by concerned parents voicing “legitimate questions”.

Ireland has one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in Europe. More than 90 women die from the disease every year, while a further 280 women require treatment ranging from surgery to chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

The rate of uptake for the vaccine dropped from