Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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I take this opportunity to join my colleagues on the other side of the House in congratulating the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Calleary, on his appointment. I am sure it was great news for his family, close supporters and constituents.

My colleagues and I find ourselves in something of a predicament tonight in terms of the channelling of information. Last Monday, as far as the women of Donegal, Leitrim and Clare were concerned, BreastCheck was finally to be rolled out in these regions, nine years after it was rolled out on the east coast and 13 years after the national cancer strategy was introduced by the former Minister for Health, Deputy Michael Noonan, in 1996. After all the campaigning by various groups such as Donegal Action for Cancer Care and Co-operating for Cancer Care North West, and the several occasions on which hopes have been dashed, 2009 was eventually given as the date of roll-out. However, as of Tuesday morning, rumours were rife throughout the regions in question that because of the recruitment freeze, the roll-out would not go ahead.

We should consider this issue not as politicians, but from the perspective of the women concerned. They put up with the fact that they were being treated in an inequitable, unfair and discriminatory way for a period of nine years in the expectation that BreastCheck would be rolled out to their areas this year. By Tuesday, however, the entire project was up in the air. I raised this issue with the Taoiseach that day and by the evening, it seemed there was reason to be hopeful. As of today, it seems the train is back on the track and that the BreastCheck roll-out will proceed.

On behalf of the women concerned, what assurances can the Minister of State offer in regard to the delivery of this programme? On too many occasions, expectations and hopes have been raised only to be disappointed. To withdraw the roll-out of the scheme would be an injustice to the women of these regions. I ask the Minister of State to confirm that it will proceed and that the health information Bill from the Department of Health and Children will be introduced as a matter of priority.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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I join colleagues in congratulating the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Calleary, on his appointment. I wish him well. I had the pleasure of serving with his father for many years. I am sure he is very proud that his son has now attained the same high office.

Yesterday's revelation by the Health Service Executive that the embargo on recruitment to the public service could prevent the planned roll-out of BreastCheck to counties Donegal, Leitrim and Clare within the often promised timeframe of 2009 came as a shocking bolt out of the blue not only to the thousands of women who are left without the benefit of this crucial health facility, but to the entire population of the region. We all have mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and nieces who may be vulnerable to breast cancer. Fortunately, its incidences can be greatly reduced by the availability of a screening service.

It is now nine years since BreastCheck was made available in certain parts of the State and it beggars belief that Donegal, Leitrim and Clare remain out of the loop. It is unacceptable that geographic location seems to determine the availability of such a critical health screening service. While we all understand the crisis in the public finances and the need to curtail recruitment to the public service, delivery of critical health services should and must be exempt. A blanket ban on recruitment is too blunt an instrument, particularly when it impinges negatively on the delivery of BreastCheck and other critical cancer services. This was acknowledged when arrangements for a derogation in certain critical areas were announced. What areas are more critical than cancer diagnosis and treatment?

To facilitate the roll-out of BreastCheck to the north west, I understand interviews have already been successfully concluded and that the radiography personnel are virtually on stand-by to operate the service. What is necessary now is to allow an exemption under the derogation clause so that the Health Service Executive can proceed without further delay in providing this long awaited cancer service to Donegal and the north west. Like my colleague, Deputy Joe McHugh, I am anxious to hear what the Minister of State has to say. There are rumours circulating in Donegal all afternoon, as I am sure there are in Clare, which have emanated from Government Deputies, to the effect that there is no cause for concern — nudge, nudge and wink, wink — and that everything will be all right on the day. This is not acceptable to the women of Donegal, Leitrim and Clare.

There must be a clear indication from the Minister of State of what is intended to be done. We will not tolerate a nudge, nudge and wink, wink approach. I understand a letter is circulating on the Government benches to some Members of the Dáil and Seanad reassuring them that the programme will go ahead as planned. The Minister of State must explain the situation in no uncertain terms in this House. Every woman in Donegal, Leitrim and Clare will listen to this debate when it is broadcast on the radio tomorrow morning. The Minister of State's response must be in black and white, no more and no less.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I join my colleagues in congratulating the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Calleary, on his appointment. However, I am disappointed that the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, is not in the Chamber to respond to our concerns. The BreastCheck programme was launched nationally in 2000. In 2002, an announcement was made that the women of County Clare would benefit imminently from the screening service. Seven years later, no progress has been made in delivering the service to the women of the county.

The latest obstacle in the way of the roll-out is the recruitment embargo in the public service. It is astonishing that we should have to debate this issue today. It is astonishing that the Minister for Health and Children did not move immediately to clarify the situation. On 27 March, I tabled a parliamentary question regarding the appointment of a respiratory physician for cystic fibrosis sufferers in the mid-west. The Minister responded that the moratorium on public service recruitment does not apply to consultants and therapists. Why is this not the case in respect of the radiography services required for the roll-out of BreastCheck?

In 2007, some 66,500 women availed of the BreastCheck service where it was available. As a result, 396 women were diagnosed with breast cancer, representing a small percentage of the numbers screened. However, for those women, none of whom showed any obvious signs of cancer and who presented merely because they had been invited to do so, the service was a life saver. How can the Minister for Health and Children stand over any further delay in the delivery of BreastCheck to women in every county, including Donegal, Leitrim and Clare?

It was confirmed to me in the reply to a parliamentary question that €1.35 million was spent in 2007 by the national screening service on advertising, promotion, recruitment and consultancy. However, the allocation for front line services is being reduced. There have been enough false dawns in regard to the rolling out of BreastCheck in County Clare. It is high time the women of Clare were offered this service. The Minister must get on with her job and deliver this programme in the interests of patient safety. I ask the Minister of State for a guarantee that it will be delivered without further delay.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I will take the Adjournment on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. On her behalf and my own, I welcome the opportunity to address the House on this matter, to address the Deputies' concerns and to clarify the situation with regard to the national roll-out of BreastCheck.

The National Breast Screening Board was established in 1998 as a specialist agency with the sole remit of providing Ireland's first quality assured population based breast screening programme, BreastCheck, for women aged 50 to 64. Governance of BreastCheck was transferred to the board of the National Cancer Screening Service on its establishment in January 2007.

BreastCheck provides free mammograms to women aged 50 to 64, sequentially on an area by area basis every two years. BreastCheck began offering free breast screening to women aged 50 to 64 in the then Eastern Regional Health Authority and North Eastern and Midland Health Boards areas in February 2000, nine years ago. Screening was extended to Wexford, Kilkenny and Carlow between 2004 and 2006.

In December 2007, construction of two new static units, the BreastCheck western unit in Galway and the BreastCheck southern unit in Cork, was completed and screening began from both units in counties Cork and Galway in December 2007. These two static units, together with eight mobile digital units, will provide screening to more than 144,000 eligible women aged 50 to 64 in the south and west of the country.

Since December 2007, the BreastCheck service has been extended to nine of the 12 counties in the south and west, these being Mayo, Cork, Galway, Kerry, Limerick, Roscommon, Sligo, Tipperary and Waterford. The completion of the national roll-out with the extension of BreastCheck to the remaining counties will proceed in 2009.

The Government decided to introduce a moratorium on recruitment across the public service, with effect from 27 March 2009 to end in 2010. However, certain posts in the health sector may be filled, including medical consultants. The focus on these key grades is in line with existing Government policy on the prioritisation of certain development areas for which significant funding has already been provided.

Contrary to what has been said regarding an announcement that BreastCheck will not be rolled out in Donegal, there has been no such announcement. In fact, I am very pleased to confirm that BreastCheck will be extended as planned to Donegal, Leitrim and Clare.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Indicative dates for the roll-out are June for County Clare, September for County Donegal and October for County Leitrim. At the same time, it is vital to stress that any woman, irrespective of her age or area of residence, who has immediate concerns or symptoms, should not wait for an invitation to screening from BreastCheck but should contact her GP who, where appropriate, will refer her to the symptomatic services in her area.

Within the past three weeks, the National Cancer Screening Service applied for a series of derogations to allow the recruitment of radiographers to extend the BreastCheck service to Donegal, Leitrim and Clare. This is in accordance with procedures put in place under the recruitment moratorium. The screening service was permitted to proceed with interviews for radiographers last week while the application to recruit these posts was under consideration. I am very pleased to confirm that recruitment of radiographers in these counties can now proceed immediately.

In the wider context, the scope for redeployment of staff from the HSE to the NCSS and within the NCSS itself will continue to be explored with the HSE. In the first instance, however, we will proceed with the recruitment of radiographers as originally planned.

It is important to acknowledge the excellent results of BreastCheck to date. In 2008, BreastCheck screened more than 90,000 women around the country. Indeed, from the commencement of screening in 2000 until 31 March 2009, BreastCheck has provided almost half a million screening appointments to 236,000 women and 3,075 cancers were detected. The 2009 allocation to the National Cancer Screening Service is over €67 million, of which approximately €25 million is allocated for BreastCheck. Screening is an integral element of the national cancer strategy and BreastCheck has a key role in reducing the incidence of and mortality from breast cancer in Ireland.

Separately, funding for cancer services this year also includes an additional €15 million provided to the national cancer control programme on budget day, which is in addition to development funding of almost €22 million allocated in 2007 and 2008. This additional funding during these difficult times is evidence that the cancer control programme and the continued roll-out of BreastCheck are priorities for the Government and I am very pleased that the roll-out of BreastCheck can now proceed on schedule in Donegal, Leitrim and Clare.

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister——

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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The Chair will proceed with the Adjournment debate.

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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The Government must realise——

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Deputy, please resume your seat.

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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——that this is a democratic forum for the dissemination of information.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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The debate on this issue has concluded.

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Either the HSE does not know what the Government is saying or the Government does not know what the HSE is saying. Until the Government takes control of its responsibility this country will go down the tubes even further.

Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Deputy, resume your seat please. Your are ignoring the Chair.

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the announcement by the Minister of State. This is where proper information should be disseminated.