Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, United Left) | Oireachtas source

The 2011 programme for Government promised an extension of BreastCheck to those aged between 65 and 69 years. As part of the Government's reform plans for the health service it was promised to roll it out at the beginning of 2014 but this has not happened. It was also part of Fine Gael's commitments before the election in 2011. The Irish Cancer Society has been asking the Government to extend BreastCheck to women aged between 65 and 69 years in the HSE's national service plan for 2015. If the Government keeps its promise and extends BreastCheck to women in this age group, 43,670 women will be invited to attend for free screening each year. We know that for every 500 women screened, one life will be saved, so this will result in 87 women's lives being saved annually. In the Minister's constituency it will mean four women's lives will be saved, given that there are 2,100 women in the age group in the constituency, and in the Taoiseach's constituency five women's lives will be saved.

The Minister for Health has stated it is intended to extend the upper age range for BreastCheck to include those aged between 65 and 69 years as soon as possible and with available resources. Will the Minister make clear to the Irish Cancer Society and the 43,670 women between the age of 65 and 69 years and their families what extra resources, if any, are needed for the extension and the cost of these extra resources? What plan does the Government have to put in place these resources in order that the life-saving service will be provided in the HSE's service plan for 2015? I am glad the Minister for Finance is here because he has an input.

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