Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this vital issue and commend the technical group for bringing it to the floor of the House.

On a daily basis we hear horror story after horror story about the deficiencies in our cancer services. Those services are staffed by incredibly dedicated and caring personnel and I feel for those personnel when I hear complaints about cancer services. In many cases, they are under-resourced, over-worked and at the end of their tether.

When it emerged recently that women in Kerry and Cork are waiting six months for the results of cervical smear tests, there was justifiable anger. The Minister for Health and Children and the Health Service Executive encourage women to go for tests but then ask them to wait agonisingly long periods for the results. I was speaking to a woman in my constituency before Christmas who waited for nine months for the results of a smear test and, as a result, she must undergo intensive treatment.

She should have received her results within three weeks. I questioned the HSE about this and I was informed there was a shortage of trained staff in Ireland to carry out the tests. However, when the Taoiseach was questioned on the Order of Business yesterday about the health service, he stated there was no shortage of staff and that it was not the issue. I remind him that the women of Kerry are suffering because of a staff shortage in Cork University Hospital.

Ireland has experienced a steady increase in the number of deaths from cervical cancer at a rate of 1.5 each year since the late 1970s. In England and Wales a screening programme was introduced in 1988 and the rate of cervical cancer deaths reduced noticeably. Research on cervical cancer in Britain and Ireland published in the British Journal of Cancer two years ago found the death rate was higher in Ireland because of the absence of a proper screening programme. When will a cervical screening programme, similar to BreastCheck, be put in place? A total of 70 women die a painful and needless death annually from cervical cancer in Ireland and each death would be preventible if a national screening programme was in place, which should be accompanied by a public information and awareness campaign to alert women to cervical cancer and the benefits of screening.

However, I am surprised by the delay on the part of the Government in providing cervical screening. We only have to consider the shameful situation regarding the roll-out of the BreastCheck programme in the south and west, to which Deputy McManus referred. The programme was due to be delivered in the south and west in 2002. It was then deferred to 2005 and now it has been deferred to the end of this year. Two years ago I instigated a widespread campaign in Kerry to lobby for the nationwide roll-out of BreastCheck. I and many women of my age were fed up and appalled because we were being denied a service other women of our age were being provided with because we had the wrong address.

Thousands of people were involved in the campaign and BreastCheck would not be rolled out in the south and west next September were it not for that campaign. I am delighted that Fianna Fáil took an interest in the campaign recently when its members took credit for the roll-out. When the campaign was under way, I did not see a sign of a Fianna Fáil member at a public meeting, rally or collecting signatures but, because the programme is about to be delivered, they are taking credit for it. People will see through that.

Cervical screening is very necessary. Staff should be put in place in Cork University Hospital because I do not want to see any more of my constituents and friends die of cervical cancer.

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