Kerry County Councillors have expressed their disappointment at a response to their call to expand BreastCheck screening.
Last month, the female members of Kerry County Council tabled a joint motion calling for the age that women qualify for BreastCheck to be reduced.
Speaking on the motion they shared stories of women aged between 20 and 50 that are being diagnosed with breast cancer and they called for changes to the screening programme.
BreastCheck is the national breast screening programme and it currently offers free breast screening to those aged 50 to 69.
In response to the motion, a letter from the CEO of the national screening service Fiona Murphy stated the committee is progressing work to consider the further expansion of BreastCheck to women aged 46 to 49 and aged 70 to 74.
The letter also stated that all changes to such screening programmes are based on evidence review which includes the benefits to women and public health, unnecessary tests and anxiety for woman and the cost effectiveness of the proposed change.
Sinn Féin councillor Deirdre Ferris stated she was disappointed with the response and she said stats show that around 23% of woman aged from 20 to 50 are being diagnosed with breast cancer.
Fine Gael councillor Angie Baily also voiced her disappointment to the response stating 20-year-old woman are losing their breasts and she told the meeting that the breasts of the Molly Malone statue in Dublin were getting more attention and seemed to be more important than the breasts of living women.
Labour councillor Marie Moloney felt this was a retrograde step for woman and called for a meeting to take place between councillors and the national screening service so they could put their concerns forward.
The female councillors were supported by their male counterparts, and it was agreed that they’d respond to the national screening service to voice their disappointment and concerns regarding the ages to qualify for the BreastCheck screening programme.
