The national roll-out of BreastCheck, which I announced last year, requires detailed planning to include essential infrastructure.
The BreastCheck clinical unit in the southern area will be located at South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital, with three associated mobile units. Counties covered include Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford and Tipperary South Riding. A capital project team has been established to develop a brief for the capital infrastructure needed for the clinical unit. The South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital considered it necessary to commission a site strategy study to ensure the integration of the breast screening service into the present and future development of the hospital. In 2004 my Department made available a capital grant of €230,000 for the study to be undertaken by architectural, engineering and quantity surveying experts on behalf of the hospital. It is expected that this study will be completed shortly.