Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 409: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, in view of the fact that BreastCheck began offering free breast screening to woman aged 50 to 64 in the former Eastern Regional Health Authority, North Eastern and Midland Health Board areas in February 2000 but only commenced screening in December 2007 in the western region, those women born between 1936 and 1943 will be offered free screening in the western region; the exact number of women in this category in the western region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1930/08]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 410: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of women who have died from breast cancer from 2000 to date in 2008 in the western region; and the number of those women who would have been eligible for free breast screening by BreastCheck, if the service had been rolled out in all parts of the country in February 2000, rather than the segmented roll-out of the service which occurred. [1931/08]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 411: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of women aged 50 to 64 who have been denied free breast screening by BreastCheck in the western region due to the apartheid of services in the west when the service was initially offered in February 2000; the number of women who have missed out on this service as it simply was not available from February 2000 in the west and now because of their age will not be offered a mammogram. [1932/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 409 to 411, inclusive, together.

BreastCheck commenced national roll out in the Western Region last May, with the provision of a mobile unit on the grounds of Roscommon County Hospital. I officially opened the BreastCheck clinical static unit for the Western Region at University College Hospital Galway last December. The expansion of the BreastCheck programme to the Western region covers counties Mayo, Clare, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo and Tipperary North Riding.

An additional €26.7 million capital funding was provided to BreastCheck for the construction of two new clinical units, eight additional mobile units and the provision of state of the art digital equipment. A total of €15 million additional revenue funding has been allocated to the National Cancer Screening Service to cater for national roll-out of the programme. The full complement of 111 staff for roll-out has been approved and recruitment is underway. Staffing already appointed include Clinical Directors, Consultant Radiologists, Consultant Surgeons, Consultant Histopathologists, Consultant Anaesthetists, Medical Scientists, Breast Care Nurses and Radiographers.

The Deputy's specific questions in relation to the Programme are the responsibility of the National Cancer Screening Service. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Chief Executive Officer of the Service to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the matters raised.