Speeches
Speech on Breastcheck Cancer Services
Speech by Fiona O'Malley TD on Private Members' motion on Breastcheck Cancer Screening Services, Dail Eireann, 12 April 2005
I am pleased to have an opportunity to speak on this issue this evening. The money which was invested was invested wisely and soundly, and this has had a direct effect on the health of women in particular.
However, there is one difficulty which causes great anger. A friend of mine from Galway who listens to the advertisement on the radio inviting women between the ages of 50 and 64 to avail of cancer screening gets angry when she hears the caveat at the end of the advertisement that it is only available to people living in the eastern, north-eastern and midland areas. It is understandable that this angers her. What is so different about people from the Cork or Galway regions? Why are these women not entitled to these services?
I met women at our annual conference in Cork last week who were just as angry, which is understandable. Services, particularly an excellent life-saving service such as BreastCheck, should be provided equally for everyone in the country . No one can be proud of a health service which discriminates on the basis of geography or one's address.
I am sure the Minister is not proud of this. She is keen to see the matter rectified. She has not been in the job long, but it is one of her priorities. I believe the excellent services that have been available to women on the eastern seaboard and in the midlands will soon be available to women living in the west and south.