Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I reply to this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. I welcome the opportunity to set out the position on the issue raised by Senator Cox and also to advise the House on the progress on the roll-out of the national breast screening programme.

In June 2003, BreastCheck accepted a donation of €340,000 from the National Breast Cancer Research Institute for the purpose of purchasing a mobile screening unit to be deployed in the western area. In June 2004, the institute decided to redirect the funds towards the upgrading of mammography services at University College Hospital Galway and elsewhere in the region. The institute requested the refund of the moneys donated. BreastCheck refunded the donation made by the institute with interest, as Senator Cox pointed out. I acknowledge the important contribution the institute is making to the development of cancer services in the west. My colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, spoke at the institute's annual fund raising gala ball last week.

With regard to the national roll-out of the breast screening programme, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, has met representatives of BreastCheck who are fully aware of her wish to have a quality assured programme rolled out to the remaining regions in the country as soon as possible. For this to happen, 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 recently, BreastCheck reported on significant progress that has been made in preparation for the roll-out. Additional funding of €2.3 million has been made available to BreastCheck to meet the extra costs of roll-out and a further 69 posts have been approved. BreastCheck has appointed clinical directors for the southern and western regions, both of whom will take up their positions next month. The recruitment of consultants and other staff, including radiographers, is under way.

BreastCheck also 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. The Minister is committed to meeting the capital requirements of BreastCheck and an additional €21 million in capital funding has been made available for this purpose. Construction teams have been appointed for the static units in University College Hospital Galway and South Infirmary, Victoria Hospital, Cork. Pre-award meetings took place with the construction companies last week and mobilisation for both sites is scheduled for 6 November next. 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 west and south is essential. BreastCheck is confident that the target date of next year for the commencement of roll-out to the southern and western regions will be met.