Teresa Costello (Fianna Fail)

Today I will tell the House about a recently launched campaign called BreastCancerKnowMore. It is a survivor-led national breast cancer awareness campaign from Breast Cancer Ireland. Members may have seen the posters and billboards with very powerful images of six brave survivors.The campaign's message is powerful and direct: "I didn't know the signs. Do you?" It aims to help people recognise the warning signs of breast cancer early. It is supported by a free breast awareness app that teaches users the eight key signs and symptoms to look out for.

The goal of the campaign is to place survivors at the centre of the message, using their voices, their bodies and their scars to show the real human impact of breast cancer and to encourage early detection, which can save lives. What are those eight signs and symptoms? They are a lump in the breast or armpit, dimpling or retraction of the nipple, a change in the skin around the nipple or discharge, a puckering of the skin of the breast, an unusual increase in the size of one breast, one breast unusually lower than the other, enlargement of the glands in or around the breast or armpit, or an unusual swelling in the armpit.

Behind the campaign are the stories of six brave survivors. Niamh Noonan was diagnosed at 30. Dara McDonough was diagnosed at 59. He reminds us that men can also be affected. Vanessa Pontes is living with stage 4 breast cancer. Laura Hughes was diagnosed at 40 with DCIS, triple-negative subtype. Demmy Adebayo was diagnosed at 42 with HER2+ breast cancer. Juliette O'Connell was diagnosed at 42 with HER2+ subtype. Each story shows that breast cancer does not discriminate. It can affect anyone at any age. By listening to survivors and learning the science, we can all play a part in catching cancer earlier and support those affected.