Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 866: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will report on progress in the roll-out of BreastCheck; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2407/07]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 892: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she is in a position to reassure women in Donegal that BreastCheck will be rolled out here in 2007. [2476/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 866 and 892 together.

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.

I understand that the Director of BreastCheck wrote to the Deputy on 14 December 2006 in relation to roll out in Donegal and he has undertaken to keep the Deputy apprised of developments.