792. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Health if she will extend eligibility for national screening programmes, including BreastCheck, BowelScreen and bone density scanning, to persons aged over 70; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51286/26]

I am committed to supporting our population screening programmes, which are a valuable part of our health service, enabling early treatment and care for many people, and improving the overall health of our population.

The Programme for Government commits to extending the BowelScreen cancer screening programme and also to extending the ages for the BreastCheck screening programme, in line with updated standards from Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).

BowelScreen, the national bowel screening programme, invites men and women aged between 57–71 to take a free at-home screening test. The Programme for Government commits to extending the age range for the BowelScreen programme in line with updated standards from HIQA.

In terms of progress, since October 2023, BowelScreen has been successfully extended on four occasions to include five additional age cohorts. Since April 2026, the National Screening Service has begun inviting those aged 57 and 71.

Additionally, in April 2026, I approved a recommendation from the National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC), the independent expert group that considers proposed changes to Ireland’s screening programmes, on the proposed extension of BowelScreen to those aged 50–54.

The full extension of BowelScreen to those aged 50-74 remains a key ambition of the mine. However, this will take some time to complete, in order to ensure that there is sufficient capacity in the health system to diagnose and treat those who receive a positive screening result in a timely manner.

BreastCheck, the National Breast Screening Programme, currently invites women aged 50 to 69 years at regular intervals to have a screening mammogram. In Budget 2026, 20 additional posts were allocated to National Screening Services, of which 10 were assigned to BreastCheck. This will assist in expanding and future-proofing the programme to meet increased demand.

I would highlight that any proposed changes to Ireland’s cancer screening programmes will be facilitated through established protocols. The National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) is the independent expert group that considers proposed changes to Ireland’s screening programmes. NSAC assesses the evidence in a robust and transparent manner, and against internationally accepted criteria, before making recommendations to myself as Minister for Health.

The rigorous processes utilised by NSAC are critical to ensure that our screening programmes are effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards, and that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.

In this regard, I am pleased to report that NSAC continues to progress work to consider the further expansion of our cancer screening programmes and has submitted several requests to the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA).

At the request of NSAC, HIQA have commenced an evidence review to consider changes to the BreastCheck programme. This review will comprise of two elements; a proposed expansion of the age range eligibility to those aged 45-49 and 70-74, and the potential introduction of a standardised breast density notification. Both elements are anticipated to be complex and will take time to ensure that any recommendations made to me by NSAC are underpinned by a robust evidence-base.

It should be highlighted that there is currently no national population-level screening programme for bone density. However, NSAC holds annual Calls for Submissions, which invite all stakeholders, including members of the public, HSE and other medical professionals, to propose changes to Ireland’s screening programmes.

NSAC’s 2026 Call for Submissions is currently live and will remain open until 28 August 2026. Should anyone wish to make a submission through the Call for Submissions, they should first check NSAC’s www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/publications/national-screening-advisory-committee-nsac-work-programme/, as the condition may have already been submitted and reviewed by the Committee. Further information about NSAC can be found on its website at www.nsacommittee.gov.ie

Finally, I would like to emphasise that population-based screening programmes are for people without symptoms. If anyone becomes aware of symptoms, or if they have concerns or worries, they should contact a medical professional.