Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh míle maith agat. It is a great victory for everyone involved and there was great cross-party support in the House for it. I am delighted because it is a victory for older women who are entitled to treatment and services at any other age. As I have said in the House on numerous occasions, women aged between 55 and 75 are at a heightened risk of developing breast cancer.

I congratulate Mr. John McCormack of the Irish Cancer Society on his passion for this resolution to be brought to us today. I will put the pressure on, as I am sure will my colleagues on the Government side, to have the programme rolled out for women aged over 69. It is a great victory for those of us who are opposed to ageism, which is endemic in our society. We all should look into our own hearts and address that issue.

I support the comments of my colleague, Senator Mark Daly. Under the Government, prescription charges have been increased five times. As people get older, they need more medical interventions and treatment. This will affect everyone in this Chamber. The older one gets, the more ailments one will have, inevitably. To have a good quality of life, it is good to have the right medication and treatments. It is disappointing that this has not been achieved. I do not want to spoil the Minister for Health's announcement, however, which is a great achievement about which I am delighted.