Margaret Cox (Fianna Fail)

I would like the Leader to arrange a debate on the results of a recent survey which show that the death rate from cancer among women in Ireland is the second highest in western Europe. The report published this week is entitled, Women and Cancer in Ireland 1994-2001. Will the Leader invite the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children in here to discuss this issue?

We have often discussed the fact that BreastCheck operates only in some parts of the country. We need interim solutions before the service is rolled out nationwide in 2008. I suggest that the Minister immediately introduce a system of free referral to a GP and onward referral to a mammography unit, and a mammogram for all women in the BreastCheck target age group who do not receive this service. This would not replace BreastCheck and will not solve the problem but it will do something in the two years between now and 2008.

The Minister should also publicly state that when BreastCheck is rolled out to the rest of the country the age group will be extended, and stop telling women at the upper age limit that they are on the scrap heap and there is no time to put them into the service. We should provide for the safe screening of women in that age group.

The Minister said she is implementing another review of how to implement screening for cervical cancer. That is not good enough. There was a review 12 years ago and still there is no system in place. This needs to be implemented now. We now have a report saying that in western Europe the rate of deaths from cancer among Irish women is second only to that of Danish women. That is not acceptable.