Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair for the question. Yes, is the short answer. Many additional activities are happening this year and more will happen next year. I can ask the Department to supply the Chair and the committee with a note on the national screening services. An awful lot of activity has been going on in terms of expanding these services. New questions are being posed, for example, around the age criteria for breast screening in the context of BreastCheck. I heard representatives of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, SMA, Ireland on RTÉ this morning talking about the heel prick test for SMA. There is a national screening advisory committee. It is looking at expanding the heel prick test and I have already authorised one. The conditions are also being examined. As the advice comes into me, the committee can be sure we will authorise and expand this undertaking. One of my own constituents, Les Martin, has been a brilliant and fierce advocate for expansion in this area.