Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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588. To ask the Minister for Health if he will extend the age category for free breast check eligibility to include women under 50 and over 64; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54052/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The BreastCheck Programme provides free mammograms to all women aged 50-64. The HSE's National Cancer Screening Service continually reviews new and emerging evidence on screening benefits, including the optimum age range for screening. International evidence does not support the introduction of population-based breast screening below the age of 50. A priority of the BreastCheck Programme at present is to maximise national uptake in the 50-64 year age cohort. It also aims to extend the upper age range to include the 65-69 age cohort as soon as possible.