Mary White (Fianna Fail)

Cancer Research in the United Kingdom has published figures that indicate that 75% of breast cancer occurs in women over the age of 65, yet a bureaucrat in the Department of Health and Children decided to cut off the age limit for screening at 65. I do not care if the research at the time indicated that was appropriate. If those in the Department did their homework properly they might have got the proper figures.

We are here to make changes in society and at the end of our time here we will be judged as to whether we made a significant contribution. The Minister of State should press home to the Tánaiste and the leader of his party the need for these screening programmes. I am an admirer of the Tánaiste; I do not want to go over the top but I believe the woman is a genius. However, she needs vision to roll out the national screening programmes that are the subject of the motion tabled by Senator Henry and her colleagues, whom I applaud for doing so.