Huge support for BreastCheck cannot be ignored

Sinn Féin Kerry County Councillor Toireasa Ferris said that the huge support that was given to last Saturday's petition in the county for the extension of BreastCheck to Kerry cannot be ignored by the Minister for Health, Mary Harney.

Ferris, a member of the BreastCheck for Kerry Now group, said that she was overwhelmed by the level of support the campaign was receiving.

"We received over 500 signatures in Listowel in a couple of hours and I believe that over 20,000 people have signed altogether," reported Ferris. "The people of Kerry and indeed the entire south and west of the country have been calling for the extension of BreastCheck for nearly half a decade now and our calls can no longer be ignored.

"The Minister for Health has said publicly that she is 'confident' that it will be rolled out by 2007, however, we all remember her predecessor's 'confidence' that it would be rolled out by 2005. So the Minister needn't be surprised when she receives nearly 3,000 pages of signatures in June."