Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

BreastCheck has already been rolled out in the west. It was rolled out before the summer in Roscommon and it is being rolled out in the south within the next three weeks, either at the end of this month or the first week in November.

Cervical screening will not be done region by region; there will be a national roll-out. The national cancer screening programme, which is not part of the HSE at the moment, is going to tender and submissions are being invited and it is intended to roll the programme out in January. I understand it is going to tender in the next couple of days to invite interested parties to do the smears. In regard to laboratory facilities, I am assured we have sufficient laboratory services. I understand it is intended that results will be available within a matter of days, probably to the general practitioner.

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