Labour demands free nationwide breast screening
Free breast cancer screening must be made available to women throughout Ireland, the Labour Party demanded today.
Labour health spokeswoman Liz McManus accused the Government of breaking its promises on the roll-out of Breastcheck across the country and promised to hold the Minister for Health to account over the issue.
Speaking at the Labour Party’s parliamentary meeting in Clonmel, Ms McManus said around 650 women die from breast cancer in Ireland each year.
“A sizeable number of these deaths could be prevented if periodic screening and diagnosis identifies the problem early enough,” she said.
But the health spokeswoman said BreastCheck – the free cancer screening service – was only available in certain parts of the country.
“The women of Clonmel, where we are today, are denied this protection, as are women throughout Munster and Connacht.
“To deny women breast cancer screening because of their geographical location is unethical and unfair,” the Wicklow TD said.
Labour and BreastCheck Now gathered 60,000 signatures in June demanding the service in Munster and Connacht, and today Ms McManus pledged to lobby the Government over roll-out of the scheme.
“Progress on BreastCheck has been unbearably slow.
“It has been subject to delays, unfulfilled promises and hold-ups in planning and development of the services and facilities required for the roll-out of this important and life-saving service.
“We are determined to hold the Government to account at every step of the roll-out of this programme, we will dog the Minister for Health in order to ensure that no further delays are experienced and no excuses from her will be acceptable.”
Ms McManus added that the issue was too important to be held up by the Government, whom she accused of being more interested in private health care than in delivering universal health screening.
