Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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2408. To ask the Minister for Health if the BreastCheck and BowelScreen programmes will be extended to the over-70s; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20732/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I am 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 commits to extending the BowelScreen programme and also extending the ages for the BreastCheck screening programme in line with updated standards from HIQA.

Since April 2025, BowelScreen, the national bowel screening programme, invites men and women aged between 59-70 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. Funding of €1.9m has been allocated for the expansion of BowelScreen to those aged 58 and 70 and this will be completed in 2026. When full expansion is complete, people aged 55-74 will be invited for screening.

BreastCheck, the national breast screening programme, currently invites women aged 50 to 69 years at regular periods to have a mammogram. An additional €2.9m in full-year costs has been allocated to BreastCheck for 2025 to 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.

I am intent on advancing cancer screening commitments outlined in the Programme for Government, which will be facilitated through established protocols. The National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) is the independent expert group that considers proposed changes to Ireland’s screening programmes. NSAC assesses the evidence in a robust and transparent manner, and against internationally accepted criteria, before making recommendations to myself as Minister for Health. The rigorous processes utilised by NSAC are critical to ensure that 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 requests to the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to consider the evidence for a further expansion of the eligibility for the BreastCheck and BowelScreen programmes.

HIQA is currently focused on a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process to examine a proposed further expansion of the age range eligibility for the BowelScreen programme to those aged 50-54 years. Work has already commenced, with a report 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 HIQA is expected to commence work on it later this year. The BreastCheck review will focus on two key elements, the expansion of the age range eligibility and the potential introduction of a standardised breast density measurement.

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 a medical professional.