Vol. 534 No. 3
155 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will make a statement on the inability of the National Breast Screening Board to state when the breast cancer screening programme will be extended to all parts of the country. [10391/01]
BreastCheck, the national breast screening programme, commenced in February 2000. Phase one of the programme covers the Eastern Regional Health Authority Area, the North-Eastern and Midland Health Board areas. Screening is being offered free of charge to all women in the target age group 50 to 64 years of age.
The decision to proceed on a phased basis is a reflection of the complexities involved in the screening process and my Department's key objective is to ensure that the programme meets the necessary quality assurance criteria.
Decisions in relation to subsequent phases of the programme will be guided by the experience gained from putting phase I of the programme in place. Phase II will involve the extension of the programme to the rest of the country. The steering committee has recommended that phase II of the programme should follow phase I as soon as is practicable. The National Breast Screening Board is currently examining the proposal for the roll out of the programme to the rest of the country.
