Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I ask the Leader to confirm that County Galway will not be late in receiving BreastCheck. New concerns and conflicting reports have arisen in recent days. The first BreastCheck unit was rolled out in the east of the country in 1999. We were promised our roll-out from January 2007. As a result of the HSE embargo on staff recruitment it is not clear if the correct number of staff will be in place. There is a further blurring of the lines. The provision of symptomatic breast services is the responsibility of the HSE and this service is distinct from BreastCheck. We are not clear if the correct complement of staff will be in place. This is a most urgent and serious situation in the area of the detection of breast cancer that has really discriminated against women in the west and south for the past nine years. Let us not lose out again. We have suffered from health apartheid.

I support the remarks of previous speakers regarding the subvention for community child care providers. County Galway alone has 131 such providers using this funding. I am a mother and I benefited from this service when I sent my child to a local community child care provider. I am concerned that the Government is using this data collection process to deny and decrease funding to these essential providers. I ask that the Minister for State with responsibility for children be invited to the House to provide clarification and to prevent any change.