Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)

I am grateful for the opportunity to raise the delay of BreastCheck for the women of Mayo, a matter I raised on my first occasion speaking in Dáil Éireann. It is scandalous and unforgivable that hundreds of women have died and at least 300 more will die before BreastCheck is available to women in Mayo. The former Minister, Deputy Martin, stated that BreastCheck would be available throughout the country by 2001 or 2002 at the latest. Many deadlines have passed since then and last month the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, stated that BreastCheck would be available at the start of 2007. This would be eight years after it was in place for almost half the population of Ireland. Today, we read in the newspaper that BreastCheck will not be available until the end of 2007.

These deadlines are more examples of broken promises by the Government, which does not give a damn about the women of Mayo. I have seen these people as patients, and women could have availed of three screenings if the service had been available. I know women who have died. There are hundreds of them in the south and west and at least 300 more will die before this negligent Government sets up BreastCheck. In 2003 I brought the board and executive of BreastCheck before the Joint Committee on Health and Children, of which I was a member. Dr. Sheelagh Ryan, chairperson of the BreastCheck board and the former Western Health Board, stated that no one should question the Government's commitment and that the service would be in place by 2005. So much for the commitments of the Government, which are worth nothing.

There is no reason that this service should not have been extended to the entire country in 2000. I have spearheaded the campaign for the extension of BreastCheck but I have not made much progress. If we could find a drug that would save the lives of hundreds of women, would we not want to make it available? That drug is the extension of BreastCheck and it has not been provided. This is scandalous and negligent and I hope someone sues every Minister in this Government for everything they have. People need and deserve this service.

The Government would pay lip service to the abolition of apartheid in South Africa but what about apartheid in Ireland, apartheid in Mayo and apartheid for the women in the south and west of Ireland? Some 700 women die of breast cancer each year, yet 20 years of evidence proves that screenings can reduce the mortality rate of breast cancer cases by 20% to 30%. This was achieved in Northern Ireland by 1998, where the mortality rate for the disease was reduced by 20%, and in Scotland, where it was reduced by 30%.

The Government stated that it was better to provide the service properly than not to do it at all, but I disagree with that strongly. BreastCheck was made available to only half the population of Ireland and predictably it was the half on the east coast. There is no excuse for this because research from the USA and Europe demonstrated that mortality rates can be reduced. The service was not extended because of money, filthy lucre.

We will not tolerate any more delays. When we held a march, an extension to BreastCheck was announced within 48 hours. Of course, it never happened, but I can guarantee another march on the Dáil. I want to hear when the people of Mayo will be able to avail of this service and how many more must die before it is provided.

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