Liz McManus
Ceist:492 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children when the complete roll-out of the vital national breast screening programme will be fully completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19796/02]
Vol. 556 No. 3
492 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health and Children when the complete roll-out of the vital national breast screening programme will be fully completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19796/02]
As the Deputy is aware, BreastCheck, the national breast screening programme, commenced in March 2000 with phase one of the programme covering the Eastern Regional Health Authority, Midland Health Board and North-Eastern Health Board areas. Screening is being offered free of charge to all women in those areas in the target age group 50 to 64 years of age. The target population consists of approximately 136,000 women and it represents about 50% of the national target population. BreastCheck is on target to complete phase one of the programme by December 2002. To end August 2002, 91,906 women had been called for screening and 68,184 women have been screened, representing an uptake of 74%.