Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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341. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider reducing the age of eligibility for breast cancer screening from 50 to 30 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25972/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I am fully committed to supporting our population screening programmes, which are a valuable part of our health service. They enable early treatment and care for many people and improve the overall health of our population.

BreastCheck, the National Breast Screening Programme, currently invites women aged 50 to 69 years at regular periods to have a routine mammogram. Under commitments in the Programme for Government, BreastCheck eligibility has been expanded to women aged 69 years since 2021.

I would highlight that any decisions about further changes in cancer screening, including further extension of the age ranges, will be made on the advice of the National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC). This independent expert group considers and assesses evidence in a robust and transparent manner, and against internationally accepted criteria. It is important that we have rigorous processes in place to ensure our screening programmes are effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards, and that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.

Regarding proposals for the expansion of breast cancer screening. NSAC previously submitted a request to the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to consider the evidence for a further expansion of the age range eligibility for the BreastCheck programme.

Health Technology Assessments (HTA) facilitate the assessment of relevant evidence and knowledge on the effects and consequences of healthcare technologies to guide decisions regarding the appropriate use of technology and efficient allocation of resources. They involve a multi-disciplinary assessment of the clinical, economic, ethical, legal and societal perspectives that may be impacted by the introduction of a new technology. They are time intensive and rigorous processes.

HIQA is currently focused on two HTA processes underway to examine the expansion the BowelScreen programme and the potential development of a population-based screening programme for Abdominal Aortic Aneurism (AAA). The evidence review for the expansion of the BreastCheck programme remains a key priority for NSAC and is expected to commence once the ongoing HTAs have concluded.

Finally, I would like to emphasise that population-based screening programmes are for healthy people without symptoms. If anyone becomes aware of symptoms, or if they have concerns or worries, they should contact their General Practitioner (GP) immediately.