Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail)

The Minister is welcome. I thank her for staying for the whole debate.

I am certainly no expert when it comes to breast cancer diagnosis, but I have been lobbied by people in my constituency, and one in particular in County Donegal who is part of Lobular Ireland. Senator Costello and others discussed breast density. What Lobular Ireland is calling for is the introduction of standardised mandatory breast density reporting for all women who have mammograms. It is saying that software is available, and I am told it is working well in other screening jurisdictions. I have no doubt that AI will play its part in this process, but I hope sooner rather than later.

I concur with Senator Costello on the early detection of younger women. It is imperative that younger women who have symptoms be looked at sooner. On the day of their screening, when this realisation takes place, a further investigation should take place there and then because some patients are waiting far too long.

It would be remiss of me not to mention to the Minister the surgical hub for Donegal. We will chat to her further outside of the Chamber, but there will be much noise about the fact that Donegal has not been selected as one of the areas for a surgical hub by the HSE. We are not too happy with how we have been treated by HSE senior personnel. We will talk to the Minister later in that regard. We in Donegal cannot be left behind. We are entitled to the same rights as the rest of the country. That is all we are asking for.

I thank the Minister for her time.