Authors' objectives:
               At the request of the National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC), the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) agreed to undertake a health technology assessment (HTA) of the addition of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) to the National Newborn Bloodspot Screening Programme (NNBSP). The findings of this HTA were presented to the NSAC to inform its recommendation to the Minister for Health.