John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, due to the delay in rolling out BreastCheck in County Mayo, this service will be made available to women aged 65 and over when the service commences; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34863/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I officially opened the BreastCheck static unit for the Western Region at University College Hospital Galway yesterday. BreastCheck commenced the screening process in the Western region last May, with the provision of a mobile unit on the grounds of Roscommon County Hospital. The expansion of the BreastCheck programme to the Western region covers counties Mayo, Clare, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo and Tipperary North Riding. The screening sequence for roll out to individual counties will be dictated by BreastCheck's operational considerations such as maximising uptake, most efficient use of mobile and static units and radiographic personnel. The 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 the National Strategy for Cancer Control, is that following the national extension of the programme, the upper age limit should be extended to women aged 69 years. The priority of BreastCheck is to screen women who have not yet been screened and accordingly it is fully focussed at present on the completion of the first round of screening in the West and South. I will consider extending the age limit as recommended when the national roll-out of the programme is sufficiently developed and it is assured that a quality service is being delivered. Any woman irrespective of her age who has immediate concerns or symptoms should contact her GP who, where appropriate, will refer her to the symptomatic services in her area.