Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)
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Question 58: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the anticipated start up date of BreastCheck in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21191/07]

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 to the National Cancer Screening Service for this year to meet the additional costs involved. The full complement of 111 staff for roll-out has been approved. BreastCheck appointed the Clinical Directors for the South and West last November and has also appointed four Consultant Radiologists, two Consultant Surgeons and two Consultant Histopathologists, all with a special interest in breast disease. The recruitment of Radiographers and other staff is underway. BreastCheck will commence national roll-out in October.

I have also made available an additional €26.7m capital funding for the construction of two new clinical units and the provision of seven additional mobile units and state of the art digital equipment. The static units at the South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital in Cork and at University College Hospital Galway are due to be completed in late Autumn. The expansion of the BreastCheck programme to the Southern region will cover counties Kerry, Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Tipperary South Riding. Screening in individual counties will be dictated by BreastCheck's management and operational considerations.