Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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639. To ask the Minister for Health to provide details of any plans under consideration to further extend the BowelScreen cancer screening programme; if there are any plans to extend the BreastCheck screening programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4306/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I am fully committed to supporting our population screening programmes, which are a valuable part of our health service, enabling early treatment and care for many people, and improving the overall health of our population. The current Programme for Government also commits to further extend the BowelScreen and BreastCheck programme.

BowelScreen, the national bowel cancer screening programme, was established in 2012 and has since October 2023 invited men and women aged between 59-69 to take the free at-home screening test. This is an important part of a phased approach to expanding the screening age, in line with available capacity and resources. When full expansion is complete, people aged 55-74 will be invited for screening. Funding of €1.9m has been allocated for the BowelScreen expansion that will start in 2025 and will be completed in 2026.

BreastCheck, the National Breast Screening Programme, currently invites women aged 50 to 69 years at regular periods to have a mammogram.

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.

In this regard, I am pleased to report that NSAC is already progressing work to consider the further expansion of our cancer screening programmes and has 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 and BowelScreen programmes.

HIQA is currently focused on two Health Technology Assessment (HTA) processes underway to examine the expansion of the BowelScreen programme and the potential development of a population-based screening programme for Abdominal Aortic Aneurism (AAA). Work has already commenced in this regard and a report is expected to be submitted to NSAC for consideration later this year. 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.

HTAs 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.

Finally, I would like to emphasise that population-based screening programmes are for people without symptoms. If anyone becomes aware of symptoms, or if they have concerns or worries, they should contact their medical professional.