Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

As regards the services I accept Deputy Kenny's point that their roll-out in the private sector, as in the Whitfield Clinic and in Limerick, can be done at enormous speed. To say at the start of 2007 that they cannot achieve a strategy by 2011 is just not acceptable. Given the huge resources and the staff they have been given, they should be able to do it by 2009. I do not accept that and I have said so to the Minister for Health and Children, who in turn has repeated it.

As regards the consultant posts and BreastCheck in particular, the cancer screening programme is being rolled out nationally this year.

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