James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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166. To ask the Minister for Health if she will consider extending the BreastCheck service to women from 40 years-of-age and over 69 years-of-age; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9858/25]

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. BreastCheck, the National Breast Screening Programme, currently invites women aged 50 to 69 years at regular periods to have a mammogram. The current Programme for Government also commits to further extend the BreastCheck programme.

I am determined to advance cancer screening commitments outlined in the Programme for Government. This will be facilitated through already established protocols, namely the National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC), which is the independent expert group that makes recommendations to myself as Minister for Health, about changes to screening.

NSAC formulates its recommendations on the basis of consideration and assessment of the evidence in a robust and transparent manner, and against internationally accepted criteria. These rigorous processes are critical to ensure that Ireland's 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 programme.

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 reports are 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.

I would emphasise that significant investment continues to be made in our national screening programmes. This includes the allocation of an additional €2.9 million in full-year costs to BreastCheck for 2025. This funding will help to future-proof the programme, allowing for increased capacity and enabling service developments to meet women's evolving needs and ensure equitable access across the entire population.

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.

James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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167. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the backlog of screening times for the BreastCheck national breast cancer screening programme, including the backlog in the west of Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9859/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.