By Susan Donlon, Communications Team, National Screening Service
We were delighted to welcome the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, to our BreastCheck Eccles unit in Dublin this week [Wednesday, 28 May 2025] to mark 25 years of BreastCheck, the national breast screening programme.
The event brought together our staff (past and present), advocacy groups and patient advocates to celebrate the success of BreastCheck, reflect on the achievements and challenges, and to reaffirm our commitment to continuous improvement and development to improve outcomes for women who choose screening.
The Minister opened the event by congratulating BreastCheck on its 25-year milestone, saying: “BreastCheck is a vital part of our healthcare system and continues to save countless lives. Thanks to BreastCheck, along with improved treatments and support services, breast cancer survival rates in Ireland have risen. Ongoing efforts remain essential - early detection continues to be our best strategy for saving lives and reducing mortality. The Government is committed to enhancing and expanding this essential service. This year, we have allocated an additional €2.9 million and created 22 new staff positions to enhance capacity.”
The Minister thanked our BreastCheck staff for their dedication, highlighting that their contributions are crucial to the programme’s success. She also expressed gratitude to all the women taking part in BreastCheck, noting that their involvement is essential for making this life-saving initiative possible, and encouraged everyone to keep attending their appointments.
Clinical Director at BreastCheck’s Merrion unit, Dr Sorcha McNally, described the growth of the BreastCheck programme from a small pilot project to a world-class national screening service. She paid tribute to the dedicated staff behind the programme’s success and emphasised the profound impact of early detection in reducing the burden of breast cancer in Ireland. She highlighted the importance of embracing innovation such as AI to further improve outcomes for women.
In what was both a celebration and a call to continue striving for excellence and compassion in breast screening, Dr McNally said: “Let our birthday celebrations today serve not just as a reflection of our achievements, but as a commitment to our future service. Let’s keep developing and innovating [...] together we can continue to provide this world-class service for the women of Ireland.”
BreastCheck patient advocate Dympna Cremin delivered a heartfelt speech, reflecting on her own breast cancer journey and the importance of early detection. Dympna was diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine BreastCheck appointment in 2021. She spoke about the kindness and professionalism of her care, from diagnosis to treatment. She highlighted the emotional journey as well as the practical supports that helped her through, expressing gratitude for the BreastCheck programme.
Dympna’s story is a powerful reminder of the human impact of screening programmes and the lives they save. She said: "I feel privileged to be here to share my story if it highlights the amazing service that BreastCheck is. I’m grateful to be a woman in such a wonderful country that recognises the value of women and their health and has a healthcare service that works hard to save lives. BreastCheck saved mine."
Our Chief Executive, Fiona Murphy reflected on BreastCheck as a public health success story that has transformed women’s healthcare in Ireland over the past 25 years. She paid tribute to the pioneers who built the programme from its humble beginnings, and to the staff whose compassion and professionalism continue to support women through screening and diagnosis. She acknowledged all those who have given their support and expertise to the programme over the years including GPs, public health teams, hospital clinical teams, public representatives, voluntary groups, community organisations and the women who use our service.
Fiona also looked ahead, acknowledging the challenges of a growing population, and thanked the government for the continuing investment as more women become eligible for screening. She outlined a vision for the future shaped by scientific evidence, equity, innovation, and strategic growth, with women’s needs at the centre, saying: “BreastCheck is an undoubted success story in the history of women’s healthcare in Ireland. We have the research to show that BreastCheck can save lives. But what figures can’t convey is how much it means to women facing some of the most difficult moments in their lives. As we grow and change into the future, women remain at the heart of our breast screening programme.”