Bishop Alphonsus Cullinan has apologised for comments he made last week about the safety of the HPV vaccine.

Previously the Bishop of Waterford and Lismore had claimed the vaccine “could” encourage young girls to partake in more promiscuous behaviour because it “changes the mentality.”

“The vaccine gets people to think they are fully protected against cervical cancer when they are not,” he said.

Adding: “We have to do better than to give our boys condoms and our girls injections at the age of 12 years.”

The comments sparked outrage among the public and medical professionals alike, with Minister for Health, Simon Coveny, even describing the claims as “ignorant” and “pathetic.”

Yesterday, the Association of Catholic Priests asked to bishop to retract his statement, and called on all the country's bishops to disassociate themselves from the comments.

In a statement released today, Bishop Cullinan said:  "I wish to apologise for contributing to any misinformation, or indeed for causing upset to anyone, concerning use of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines.

"My intervention was in response to concerns which I had received about HPV vaccines from parents wishing to make the best health decision on behalf of their children, and from young people alike.

"My intention was solely motivated to protect people from the HPV.

"I was not fully informed about the vaccination programme and I can see now how HPV vaccines can contribute greatly to lowering the rate of cervical cancer. As I have learnt, possession of full information is paramount on this vital health issue."

Earlier this week, Bishop Alphonas Cullinan made comments regarding the safety of the human papillona virus (HPV) vaccine, claiming that it “could” encourage young girls to partake in more promiscuous behaviour because it “changes the mentality.”

“The vaccine gets people to think they are fully protected against cervical cancer when they are not,” he said.

Adding: “We have to do better than to give our boys condoms and our girls injections at the age of 12 years.”

The comments, made on WLR local radio on Thursday, sparked outrage among the public and medical professionals alike, with Minister for Health, Simon Coveny, even describing the claims as “ignorant” and “pathetic.”

Following the controversy, the Association of Catholic Priests has now asked the Bishop to withdraw his comments, calling them both ill-informed and dangerous.

In a statement, the association asked the country's bishops to disassociate themselves from Bishop Cullinan's comments and to instead support “the medical and scientific evidence that makes the vaccine a vital protection against cervical cancer.”