Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 626: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that persons who have had treatment for breast cancer are being dropped from the BreastCheck system when they reach the age of 64; and if she will review the protocols that permit this to happen which are not in accord with good principles of preventative health strategy. [43767/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I am committed to ensuring that the BreastCheck service is rolled out to the remaining regions in the country as quickly as possible. I have allocated additional revenue funding of €8 million for this year to meet the additional costs involved. I have also made available an additional €26.7m capital funding for the construction of two new clinical units and five additional mobile units and state of the art digital equipment. The first round of screening will commence in the South and West in the spring which will take around 27 months to complete. The BreastCheck Programme is designed to offer repeat screening within an interval of 21-27 months.

The expert advice from BreastCheck and from the National Cancer Forum, as contained in its a Strategy for Cancer Control, is that following the national extension of the current programme, the upper age limit should be extended to women aged 69 years. Accordingly, when the national roll-out of the programme is sufficiently developed and it is assured that a quality service is being delivered at national level, I will consider extending the upper age limit as recommended. Any woman irrespective of her age or residence who has immediate concerns or symptoms should contact her GP who, where appropriate, will refer her to the symptomatic services in her area.