Jerry Cowley (Mayo, Independent)
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Question 184: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, in view of the fact that breast cancer is a terrible killer, that health care apartheid exists in this country, that 260 more women will die needlessly in the west and south before BreastCheck is up and running, and given that she has stated that it is not possible to get the Galway Clinic to carry out these essential checks, will she encourage the BreastCheck to out source this essential service in order to save women's lives; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30249/06]

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 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 appointed Clinical Directors for the Southern and Western regions and the recruitment of Consultants and other staff is now underway.

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. Demolition works at South Infirmary/Victoria University Hospital were completed this month. The Department has issued approval to BreastCheck to award contracts for the construction of the static units at the South Infirmary/Victoria University Hospital, Cork and University College Hospital Galway. BreastCheck is confident that the target date of next year for the commencement of roll out to the Southern and Western regions will be met.

Any proposal received by BreastCheck to support the roll out of its screening programme will be carefully examined to assess the extent to which it complies with existing standards. BreastCheck recently conducted an evaluation of a proposal from a private screening service and concluded that the clinic in question would not be in a position to provide a screening programme in line with BreastCheck standards.