Erin McGreehan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise a positive issue that I, along with a Fianna Fáil councillor, Councillor Teresa Costello, have been working on. This time last year the national screening advisory committee put out open calls for extra checks. It highlighted a number of issues where one could make a submission to ask for things to be changed. Councillor Costello and I worked together on a proposal for an extension of the age eligibility for BreastCheck. Thankfully, we both received the positive news that the national screening advisory committee has recommended to the Department of Health that it widen the age range eligibility for the BreastCheck programme from 45 years of age to 74 years of age. That is an extra ten years of BreastCheck.

It also recommend the introduction of a standardised breast density notification for all participants. That is a really important step and I am sure that if the independent body of the national screening advisory committee recommends such an important thing to the Department of Health, it will follow it through and do it. This will also be on the foot of an upcoming European Council proposal. It is not often that I get to raise a really positive thing in this Chamber. This is for the health of all people in Ireland, as well as for people who are losing family members. Up to 700 people in this country die every year from breast cancer. This is a very positive thing in terms of prevention and looking after and caring for everybody in this country.