The Minster for Health, Mr Michael Martin, has denied that is a shortage of funds for the treatment of breast cancer across the country.
Mr Martin was responding to criticisms raised by Prof Niall O'Higgins of UCD on Morning Irelandtoday. The professor said despite the Government's approval of funding for creating 13 breast cancer clinics two years ago, the money was not forthcoming.
Prof O’Higgins, who co-authored a report two years ago on the development of breast cancer units, said proper screening could cut mortality rates by a minimum 20 per cent.
In the report, is was suggested that there should be five breast-cancer units in Dublin: two in Cork city and one in Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Drogheda, Sligo and Portlaoise.
Each unit would serve 300,000 people, with a multidisciplinary team available for rapid diagnosis and effective management.
But Prof O’Higgins said, two years after the report was accepted in its entirety by the Government progress has been "disappointing".
"If the evidence is there[that screening reduces mortality]", Professor O’ Higgins said "and if the wherewithal is there to rectify the situation, then the blame [for the situation] must fairly and squarely lie on the shoulders of those,[who] knowing what’s right and having the ability and the financial capability to rectify it, choose to ignore it.
"I think now the resources may not be there and there are certainly not forthcoming . . . and I feel quite strongly that if the funding for these important projects are not there the Government should say so".
But the Minister denied there is a shortage of funding and said that as soon as the report was published he provided IR£5 million and that €100 million was available for cancer treatment, €25 million of which would be available for the new breast-screening clinics.
Mr Martin said that although progress was slow, considerable progress had been made and that Prof O’Higgins had not raised his concerns about funding during a progress review six weeks ago.
He also said local politics and personality issues in some of the regions has slowed progress significantly but that some of the units were almost ready.