Nessa Cosgrove (Labour)

I also want to offer my support to my colleagues on the motion on Gaza. I commend Senator McDowell on bringing it forward.

I have spoken a lot here over the last couple of months about breast density. During the week, I received the following communication from a constituent, which I will read out:

Dear Nessa, I am a 51-year-old woman who was recently called for my first mammogram, which took place in Sligo. I had heard you speaking on Ocean FM about breast density and so I asked a professional operating the machine do I have breast density? She said that she did not know but that the doctor would tell me. At the time, I did not think anything about it. It did not occur to me that there was no doctor on site. About two weeks after the mammogram, I received a letter from BreastCheck saying that they wished me to come to their clinic in Galway for further investigation. The letter arrived on a Monday and the appointment was on the Friday, so I had only one week of worrying. I arrived at the BreastCheck clinic in Galway where incidentally there was free parking for women to attend in the clinic. I was then told by a very nice doctor that they needed to rescan one breast. I was taken straight in for another mammogram with a different machine to the one in Sligo and this was followed up immediately with an ultrasound using the same kind of equipment used in a pregnancy ultrasound. I was really relieved that the doctor was able to confirm that my breasts were clear of cancer and because I had had the follow-up appointment and the ultrasound, I had absolute faith in her diagnosis. This is how it should be. If there is any doubt arising from a mammogram, it should be followed up. This is what has not been done in the past. It is just wrong. Marian Cullen [who I have spoken about here in the Seanad before] whose daughter Martha has shown such commitment to raising this issue, was a friend of mine and her loss should never have happened. I would like to thank you and your fellow Senators for bringing the matter of breast density to national attention and hope that the follow-up investigations that I receive are now becoming standard throughout the country.

That letter speaks for itself. I want to express the hope that the Leader can bring this back to the Minister for Health so that we can resume this debate in September.