Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 148: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the estimated cost of removing the upper age limit on all free health screening services offered by the Health Service Executive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27620/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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I understand the Deputy is referring to cancer screening programmes. There are two national population cancer screening programmes - BreastCheck and CervicalCheck - provided by the HSE's National Cancer Screening Service (NCSS).

CervicalCheck offers free smear tests through primary care settings to women aged between 25 and 60 years. Screening will be provided every three years to women aged 25 to 44 years and every five years for women aged 45 to 60 years. The NCSS keeps under constant review the evidence base, involving any research conducted in Ireland or internationally, that would influence the target population for CervicalCheck. International best practice currently recommends that population-based cervical screening programmes should target women aged from 25 or 30 years to 60 or 65 years.

BreastCheck provides free screening to women aged 50 to 64. It remains my intention to extend BreastCheck to women in the 65-69 age group as soon as resources and capacity allow. In the meantime women of any age who have concerns about breast cancer should seek the advice of their GP who will, if appropriate, refer them to the symptomatic breast services in one of the eight designated specialist cancer centres.

The NCSS has estimated that there are approximately 85,000 women in the age group 65-69 and that the additional cost of expanding the programme would be around €5 million per annum, with a capital investment of approximately €3 million. However BreastCheck's main priority in 2010 is to maximise uptake in the 50 - 64 year age cohort.

The Deputy will also be aware that preparations are underway for the introduction of a national colorectal cancer screening programme in 2012 for men and women aged 60 to 69 years. Over time this programme will be expanded to cover everyone in the 55 to 74 age group.