Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

The expansion of this service will ensure that all women in the relevant age group throughout the country have access to breast screening and follow-up treatment where required. A capital investment of €21 million has been earmarked for the construction and equipping of two static clinical units, one at South Infirmary, Victoria Hospital, Cork and the other at University College Hospital, Galway. This investment will also ensure that mobile units are available to screen all women in the relevant age group throughout the country.

The design process for the two new units is progressing. The applications for planning permission for both clinical units have been lodged with the relevant local authorities and decisions are expected in March. It is anticipated that the design process, including the preparation of tender documentation, will be completed by mid-2006. Following the selection of contractors, construction of the two units will commence. As I have said, BreastCheck is confident that the target date of 2007 for commencement of the roll-out will be met.

Capital funding for the facilities at Cork and Galway has been identified under the capital investment framework 2005 to 2009 and both developments will be progressed simultaneously. Funding in the region of €3 million has also been earmarked for the relocation and development of the symptomatic breast disease unit at University College Hospital, Galway. This unit will be developed in tandem with the BreastCheck development.

Since 1998, cumulative revenue funding of approximately €60 million and €12 million capital funding has been allocated to support the programme. Up until the end of December last year, the number of women screened by BreastCheck was in the region of 245,000. It is estimated that the cancer detection rate is approximately 6.7 per 1,000 screened and, to date, more than 1,639 cancers have been detected.

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