Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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I am grateful for the opportunity to raise the delay of BreastCheck for the women of Mayo, a matter I raised on my first occasion speaking in Dáil Éireann. It is scandalous and unforgivable that hundreds of women have died and at least 300 more will die before BreastCheck is available to women in Mayo. The former Minister, Deputy Martin, stated that BreastCheck would be available throughout the country by 2001 or 2002 at the latest. Many deadlines have passed since then and last month the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, stated that BreastCheck would be available at the start of 2007. This would be eight years after it was in place for almost half the population of Ireland. Today, we read in the newspaper that BreastCheck will not be available until the end of 2007.

These deadlines are more examples of broken promises by the Government, which does not give a damn about the women of Mayo. I have seen these people as patients, and women could have availed of three screenings if the service had been available. I know women who have died. There are hundreds of them in the south and west and at least 300 more will die before this negligent Government sets up BreastCheck. In 2003 I brought the board and executive of BreastCheck before the Joint Committee on Health and Children, of which I was a member. Dr. Sheelagh Ryan, chairperson of the BreastCheck board and the former Western Health Board, stated that no one should question the Government's commitment and that the service would be in place by 2005. So much for the commitments of the Government, which are worth nothing.

There is no reason that this service should not have been extended to the entire country in 2000. I have spearheaded the campaign for the extension of BreastCheck but I have not made much progress. If we could find a drug that would save the lives of hundreds of women, would we not want to make it available? That drug is the extension of BreastCheck and it has not been provided. This is scandalous and negligent and I hope someone sues every Minister in this Government for everything they have. People need and deserve this service.

The Government would pay lip service to the abolition of apartheid in South Africa but what about apartheid in Ireland, apartheid in Mayo and apartheid for the women in the south and west of Ireland? Some 700 women die of breast cancer each year, yet 20 years of evidence proves that screenings can reduce the mortality rate of breast cancer cases by 20% to 30%. This was achieved in Northern Ireland by 1998, where the mortality rate for the disease was reduced by 20%, and in Scotland, where it was reduced by 30%.

The Government stated that it was better to provide the service properly than not to do it at all, but I disagree with that strongly. BreastCheck was made available to only half the population of Ireland and predictably it was the half on the east coast. There is no excuse for this because research from the USA and Europe demonstrated that mortality rates can be reduced. The service was not extended because of money, filthy lucre.

We will not tolerate any more delays. When we held a march, an extension to BreastCheck was announced within 48 hours. Of course, it never happened, but I can guarantee another march on the Dáil. I want to hear when the people of Mayo will be able to avail of this service and how many more must die before it is provided.

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I welcome the opportunity this evening to address the issues raised by the Deputy and to set out the current position on the roll-out of the national breast screening programme. The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, met representatives of BreastCheck and they are fully aware of her wish to have a quality assured programme provided for the remaining regions in the country as quickly as possible. Essential elements of the roll-out must be in place, including adequate staffing, effective training and quality assurance programmes. At a meeting with Department officials this morning, BreastCheck reported that significant progress has been made in preparation for the roll-out. Additional revenue funding of €2.3 million has been made available to BreastCheck to meet additional costs of roll-out and an additional 69 posts have been approved. BreastCheck has appointed clinical directors for the southern and western regions and both will take up their positions in November of this year. The clinical directors are currently undergoing additional training. The recruitment of consultants and other staff, including radiographers, is under way.

BreastCheck requires considerable capital investment in the construction of two new clinical units and in the provision of five additional mobile units and state-of-the-art digital equipment. An additional €21 million in capital funding has been made available to BreastCheck for this purpose. BreastCheck reported this morning that it has appointed construction contractors for the static units at the South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital, Cork, and University College Hospital Galway. The BreastCheck clinical unit in the western area at University College Hospital Galway will have two associated mobile units. Almost 58,000 women are in the target population for invitation to screening.

A breast screening programme is a complex, multidisciplinary undertaking that requires considerable expertise and management involving population registers, call and recall systems, mammography, pathology and appropriate treatment and follow-up. A programme must be quality assured and acceptable to women who attend for screening. The first phase of the programme is of a high quality, and a similar quality in the south and the west is essential. BreastCheck is confident that the target of next year for the commencement of roll-out to the southern and western regions will be met. However, it has advised the Department that it is not possible to issue timelines for individual counties at this stage.

Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Of course it is not. We will have to wait another nine or ten years.