Campaigner launches online cancer petition

A LONG-TIME cancer services campaigner has begun an online petition which he hopes will spur the Government into action.

A Labour councillor in Waterford city and member of the Health Forum, Seamus Ryan has launched the “BreastCheck for All” online petition and he wants everyone with an interest in the area to join and support the campaign.

“I want the Irish Government to provide Breast Check for women in Ireland, regardless of where they live. BreastCheck is the free breast cancer screening programme for women.

“The national breast cancer screening programme was started in 2000. Since then we have seen deadlines set by the Government and deadlines broken by the Government.

“We were promised the roll-out of BreastCheck would take place by 2003, then 2005 and now the latest deadline is 2007. Each year, around 600 women die from breast cancer in Ireland yet the Government has failed to make breast cancer screening available for women regardless of where they live,” Mr Ryan said.

In launching the petition, Mr Ryan said that he was seeking the assistance of the public to gather signatures and has asked people to forward the online petition to family, friends and work colleagues.

The completed petition will be sent to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Minister for Health Mary Harney.

You can circulate the petition by using the link http://www.PetitionOnline. com/051/petition.html or http://seamusryan.blog spot.com/2006/10/breastcheck-for-all-online-petition.html.