Opposition parties, cancer support groups and women's organisations called yesterday for the immediate roll-out of breast-screening services across the State.
The second all-Ireland cancer statistics report, published yesterday, found that deaths from breast cancer have fallen by one-fifth in the North while mortality from the disease in the Republic has remained constant over the last decade. The report attributes this difference, in part, to the lack of a full breast screening programme in the Republic.
The Irish Cancer Society said it was concerned that despite an undertaking by the Department of Health to roll out the BreastCheck programme to the south and west of the country by 2005, overall funding to facilitate this still has not been agreed with the Department of Finance.
"Specifically we understand there are serious delays in the appointment of a design team to take the development of the proposed BreastCheck unit at the South Infirmary/Victoria Hospital in Cork to the next stage, following a site survey and report," said a spokeswoman.
The Republic's chief medical officer, Dr Jim Kiely, who was in Belfast for the launch of the report, said the differentials in North-South mortality rates are being acted upon and that discrepancies in breast cancer rates in particular should narrow.
Better screening and follow-up procedures would lead to improved statistics over the next five years, Dr Kiely added.
"Some of the major issues which are identified as being relevant and important in 2000 by way of breast screening, prostate, colon and lung cancer are now being addressed in a very significant way."
Dr Kiely said the Republic could learn from the Northern experience of breast cancer screening and treatment. "The centralisation of specialist services, in the Belfast area in particular, has been a very good model and one that we seek to emulate."
Dr Etta Campbell, the North's chief medical officer, said development of screening services in the Republic along the lines of the Northern Ireland model would be an important health tool and "will inevitably lead to an increase in rates of survival".
Ms Annie Dillion, health policy analyst with the National Women's Council called on Mr Martin to ensure the full roll-out of cervical screening. "Early detection through screening is proved to reduce deaths caused by cervical cancer. In Ireland this programme is currently only available to women living in the Mid-Western Health Board area."
Ms Olivia Mitchell, Fine Gael spokeswoman on health, said the report was a "graphic demonstration of the consequences of under-resourcing". The Labour Party's spokeswoman, Ms Liz McManus, described the report's findings as "very damning in its assessment of the cancer rate in Ireland".