CervicalCheck is clinically sound and women can have confidence in the process, according to Dr Gabriel Scally.
Dr Scally is leading the scoping inquiry into the national cervical screening programme.
He is reviewing the cases of 209 women who received false negative results from the State's national screening programme, and were not informed when the issues were brought to light by an internal audit.
He told the Oireachtas Health Committee that, from a clinical perspective, women can have confidence in CervicalCheck.
Dr Scally explained: "It is worthwhile reinforcing that it is a good programme and that it has produced real results.
"The potential is great for it to produce really outstanding results.
"If there is criticism of the programme, it's not about the principle of the programme at all, or even the general operation of the programme: it's about the way this particular issue was handled."
When the scoping inquiry began last year, Dr Scally was told six labs were involved in the screening programme; since then it's emerged ten more were involved.
However, Dr Scally says to date there's no cause for concern regarding the conditions of the labs.
He told the committee: "There wasn't any indication that any of these labs were particularly problematic.
"Having said that, we may learn more from the [Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists] about whether there is a pattern that is statistically significant in any way - but that's a judgement for later."
A panel of experts from the RCOG is currently leading an independent review of cervical screening.
They're aiming to provide an "independent clinical assurance about the timing of their diagnosis and treatment", as well as determining if there were "any failures to prevent cancer or to intervene at an earlier stage".
They'll also create individual written summary reports for the women affected.
Analysis of slides began in February, with the HSE saying earlier this year that the review was expected to take at least six months.
