The Health Service Executive’s BreastCheck national screening service has missed its screening targets for two years in a row, according to new figures.
The service target last year was for 195,000 women and others to be screened, but the service performed 137,134 checks.
For the previous year 2023, the target was 185,000 people to be screened, but the service performed 166,532 checks.
The new figures were secured through a parliamentary question submitted by Aontú leader Peadar TóibÃn.
BreastCheck is a free breast screening programme for those aged 50 to 69 years, usually around every two years.
Around 3,500 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed in Ireland each year.
Global shortage of radiology staff
In a response to the figures, the HSE said that the screening service is affected by a global shortage of radiology staff.
It said the HSE has not been able to increase the screening numbers to keep pace with the growing population.
“Despite these pressures, we are expanding capacity – recruiting new consultants and radiographers, adding mobile units, upgrading our IT system and using new technology such as text reminders,” the HSE said.
The HSE said it is focusing on those at higher risk, those waiting the longest, and women in communities who find it harder to access screening.
It added that the uptake of screening remains high, with an uptake last year of 72%, against the programme standard of 70%.
BreastCheck was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, and the programme was paused for several months in 2020 and 2021.
In the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the screening numbers fell to 56,270.
For cervical screening, last year, the service exceeded its target of 178,000 screenings and performed over 194,800 screenings.
In the case of BowelScreen, the target was 148,000 screenings and over 139,750 were performed.