The issues of how the vaccine is administered, what it will cost and the age at which it should be administered will not be addressed by the National Screening Service (NSS) until the end of 2007, meaning it is unlikely to be introduced publicly until next year.

The vaccine, known as Gardasil, was introduced in Ireland last October and protects young girls and women against four strains of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which causes cervical cancer.

At present, it is only available on a private patient basis at a cost of 567. It has not yet been decided whether the vaccine will be available free of charge as part of the National Cancer Screening Service.

In the US, where the vaccine is already being administered to children from the age of nine years, outrage has broken out among parent groups, who say giving the vaccine at a young age encourages children to engage in sexual activity.

Although Gardasil is licensed in Ireland for children from the age of nine, Dr Darina O'Flanagan of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) said it was likely to be given to girls from around the age of 12.

"I would hope that it will be seen in a much more positive light here, " she said, "and that it will be seen as preventing an avoidable fatality from a terrible disease."

Family planning groups expressed concern at the current high price of getting the vaccine privately. "We're not exactly sure of the price yet, but it looks like it will be a lot more expensive than other vaccines, " said Niall Behan of the Irish Family Planning Association (IFPA). "In this case, it should certainly be made available on the medical card."

In Ireland, around 70 women die each year from cervical cancer.