Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 67: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when she expects BreastCheck to be fully rolled out here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6538/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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BreastCheck, the National Breast Screening Programme provides free mammograms to women aged 50 to 64, on a two-year cycle. The BreastCheck Eccles Unit (located adjacent to the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital) and four attached mobile digital screening units provides the screening service to women living in North and County Dublin, Cavan, Carlow, Kilkenny, Longford, Louth, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly and Westmeath. The BreastCheck Merrion Unit (located adjacent to St Vincent's University College Hospital) and four attached mobile digital screening units screens women living in South and County Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Wexford and Wicklow.

In 2007, BreastCheck commenced national roll-out and screening began from two new purpose built screening units in Cork and Galway to serve women living in the South and West of the country. By the end of 2008, screening had been extended to all counties with the exceptions of Kerry, Leitrim, Donegal, Sligo and Clare. National roll-out will be completed in 2009 with the extension of screening to these counties. Screening of women in County Sligo begins in March 2009 from a mobile digital screening unit located in Tubbercurry. BreastCheck publishes its screening schedules on a three monthly rolling basis.