A PROPOSAL by Limerick Fine Gael TD Kieran O’Donnell to extend free BreastCheck mammograms to women in the 65 to 69 age group will form part of the HSE’s budget process for next year.
On foot of correspondence with HSE national director Tony O’Brien, Deputy O’Donnell has received formal confirmation from the health executive on his proposal. This follows a commitment previously given by former Health Minister James Reilly that free BreastCheck monitoring will be extended to women aged 65-69 during the lifetime of this government.
The Limerick politician cited the latest development as a “crucial step” along the road to extending BreastCheck to women aged 65-69.
“The HSE is now effectively saying is that it has made a business case to the Department of Health to extend BreastCheck to women aged 65-69 and the HSE has included the extension of BreastCheck in its budget preparations for next year,” Deputy O’Donnell explained.
He added that he is hopeful the extension will happen as part of the HSE’s 2015 Service Plan and said that he is going to continue to work with the HSE and Department of Health to achieve this.
“The effect of BreastCheck is measurable. It has saved lives since it was introduced, and with one in ten incidences of breast cancer occurring in women in the 65-69 age group, I believe that more lives can be saved once the scheme is extended.
“Limerick women have benefitted since the introduction of Breastcheck here, and I firmly believe that the extension of the scheme will further extend the benefit of BreastCheck to Limerick women,” he concluded.
