It appears Donegal, yet again, is bottom of the pile with doctors surgeries in the peninsula telling the Journal they’ve applied to offer the now free service but are waiting for their paperwork to be processed.

But Cervical Check - the National Cervical Screening Programme - reckon they’re have been processing up to 80 applications daily and it only takes a few days for the forms to be processed.

When the Journal carried out an investigation into the matter we found, in total 358 surgeries across the country have adopted the scheme. This included just seven from Donegal and only one from Inishowen.

According to Cervical Check only Moville Health Centre was able to offer women, from aged 25 to 60 the free life saving test.

A spokesperson from Cervical Check told the Journal: “The registration of smeartakers is an ongoing process. It is a national programme we have surgeries all over Ireland to be processed.

“There are about 80 applications being processed a day.”

She said the registration process does take a few days but because the registration forms were sent out weeks ago she said most clinics have returned their applications.

She said every day the amount of clinics able to offer free smear tests changes.

Earlier this week the news women in Inishowen were able to avail of the free smear test was warmly welcomed by Betty Holmes from Donegal Action for Cancer Care.

She said this was excellent news for women all over the peninsula and that it would save lives.

Betty, from Newtowncunningham, said in the past women may have been put off going for the test because it may have cost up to 80 euro.

Smear tests can detect early changes in the neck of the womb and the earlier a change is found the easier it is to treat.

Offering free smear tests in ireland has the potential to cut current mortality rates from cervical cance by up to 80 per cent.

The Programme is being implemented by the National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS) and funded by the Department of Health and Children.