Terminally ill mother-of-five Emma Mhic Mhathúna has revealed that her cancer has spread to her brain.

She was originally diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016 after receiving two incorrect smear test results.

In a Facebook post last night, Ms Mhic Mhathúna revealed the cancer had spread.

She wrote: "I found out today the cancer has spread to my brain - I'm not scared, just heartbroken.

"I love my life, my children and all of you my new found friends."

Earlier this year, Emma's story became one of the most high-profile accounts of a woman affected by the Cervical Check scandal.

After she went public in an RTÉ interview, Fianna Fáil Deputy Leader Dara Calleary said Ms Mhic Mhathúna's account "seared the soul of our country" and was "one story in an ocean of anguish".

Last week, Ms Mhic Mhathúna settled her case against the HSE and a US lab for €7.5 million.

Speaking about the settlement, she said: "I was determined to fight [for] justice for my children, and the figure replicates the damage that has been done to them."

The news comes as it was revealed today that the number of women affected by the Cervical Check scandal has risen to 221.