Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 86: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if, in view of the fact that breast cancer is a terrible killer, that health care apartheid exists here and that 260 more women will die needlessly in the west and south before BreastCheck is up and running, she will take up an alternative option whether private or otherwise to provide a BreastCheck service to the women of the west until a unit is built in Galway thus saving 260 women's lives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21375/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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A breast screening programme is a complex multidisciplinary undertaking that requires considerable expertise and management involving population registers, call recall systems, mammography, pathology and appropriate treatment and follow up. A programme must be quality assured and acceptable to women who attend for screening. The first phase of the programme is of a high quality and a similar quality in the West and South is essential.

I have met with representatives of BreastCheck and they are fully aware of my wish to have a quality assured programme rolled out to the remaining regions in the country as quickly as possible. For this to happen, essential elements of the roll out must be in place including adequate staffing, effective training and quality assurance programmes. I have made available additional revenue funding of €2.3m available to BreastCheck to meet the additional costs of roll out. I have also approved an additional 69 posts.

BreastCheck recently interviewed for Clinical Directors for both regions and appointments have been made and both will take up their positions later this year. Both are currently undergoing additional training in relation to their role as Clinical Director. This month BreastCheck will begin recruiting Consultant Radiologists, Consultant Surgeons and Consultant Histopathologists for both centres. BreastCheck are also recruiting radiographers. While the recruitment of radiographers is difficult at present as there is a shortage internationally of trained personnel, BreastCheck is confident that it will be in a position to employ sufficient radiographers at both sites. BreastCheck is also confident that the target date of next year for the commencement of roll out to the Southern and Western regions will be met.

BreastCheck also requires considerable capital investment in the construction of two new clinical units and in the provision of five additional mobile units and state of the art digital equipment. I have made available an additional €21m capital funding to BreastCheck for this purpose. BreastCheck is in the process of shortlisting applicants to construct its two new clinical units. The BreastCheck clinical unit in the Western Area at University College Hospital Galway will have two associated mobile units. 58,000 women are in the target population for invitation to screening. This is expected to result in the detection of in excess of 141 cancers per year in the first round of screening and a minimum of 71 per year in the subsequent rounds. The BreastCheck clinical unit in the Southern Area at South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital will have three associated mobile units. 71,000 women are in the target population for invitation to screening. This is expected to result in the detection of in excess of 174 cancers per year in the first round and a minimum of 87 per year in the subsequent rounds. On full roll-out, all women in the target age group in every county will have access to breast screening and follow up treatment where appropriate.

Any proposal received by BreastCheck to support the roll out of its screening programme is carefully examined to assess the extent to which it complies with existing standards. As I have previously informed the Deputy, BreastCheck has advised my Department that it has engaged in extensive discussions with the Galway clinic. BreastCheck has conducted an evaluation of this proposal and has concluded that the clinic in question would not be in a position to provide a population based screening programme in line with BreastCheck's requirements.