Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

My second question is on the screening programme, particularly BreastCheck. I know the Minister spoke about this today. I have been contacted by a number of women in Dublin Mid-West about the length of time it takes to get an appointment which is not acceptable, either post-Covid or pre-Covid. There is no logic in women having to wait so long. We now need to look at the long term, the short term and so forth. Based on what Covid has done to society, we need to increase capacity regarding resources, nurses and access to public healthcare. The two-tier system is simply not sustainable. Even people who might have believed it before the pandemic are saying that public healthcare systems such as those in mainland Europe and in Britain are actually better for society. They are the fault lines the next Government should fix. Particularly with BreastCheck, of course there are issues with the 2 m distancing in confined spaces. Would the Minister call for more capacity for BreastCheck because many women are experiencing anxiety while awaiting an appointment?

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