A compensation scheme for women affected by the non-disclosure of the CervicalCheck audit has been established, the Minister for Health has announced.

Minister Simon Harris confirmed that he had secured Government approval to proceed with the ex-gratia scheme for the 221 women affected or their next of kin.

The amount of money to be paid to those affected will be determined by an independent assessment panel, which is made up of a retired High Court judge, who will act as chairperson, an independent clinician and a person of good standing.

The chair of the panel is Mr Justice Aindrias Ó'Caoimh.

"The scheme is designed to provide an alternative, non-adversarial and person-centred option for women affected by the CervicalCheck non-disclosure issue. It is anticipated that it will be up and running in the coming weeks," the Department of Health said.