Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State and I very much welcome the additional €10 million. I am very aware of the development of and the increased funding in the breast and cancer services. I understand there is a balance of benefits between screening and potential harms.However, at the moment, because they are not being automatically screened, many breast cancers are not being diagnosed. From brief research and talking to breast cancer survivors and patients, it is unfortunately clear that, because younger people are being diagnosed at a later date and not getting screened, they are being diagnosed with stage 4. Many of them are incurable.

There is helpful information on the websites but we need to bring that information to women more and to highlight it to empower young women and girls to check themselves. I would not be 100% certain about how to check myself. We have to know that. Just because someone is not in the category being screened, GPs must know they have an option to request a mammogram and check. I thank the Minister of State for his time and I hope he relays the matters I raise to the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly.