BreastCheck Misses Mammogram Targets: 46,000 Women Unscreened | Ireland 2025

March 20, 2026 Dr. Michael Lee – Health Editor Health

Ireland’s national breast cancer screening program, BreastCheck, failed to meet its screening targets for the third consecutive year, screening 46,000 fewer women than planned in 2025, the Health Service Executive (HSE) confirmed to RTÉ’s News at One.

Despite screening 173,000 women – the highest annual number since the program’s inception 25 years ago – BreastCheck fell short of its 219,000 target. The shortfall continues a trend of missed goals; in 2024, 137,134 mammograms were performed against a target of 195,000, and in 2023, 166,532 screenings were completed compared to a target of 185,000.

BreastCheck provides free, routine mammograms every two years to women aged 50 to 69, aiming to detect breast cancer at its earliest stages in those without symptoms. Approximately 3,500 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed annually in Ireland.

A significant barrier to achieving screening targets is low appointment attendance. The HSE reports that over 40% of women initially invited for screening do not attend, and this figure rises to over 30% for subsequent appointments. Amy Nolan, Director of Clinical Affairs with the Irish Cancer Society, emphasized the importance of attending or rescheduling appointments. “If they don’t attend their first screening, it’s unlikely that they will attend subsequent screenings. So really the message is that while the target is there, it is being missed,” she said, urging women to release appointments to others if they cannot attend.

Nolan attributed some hesitancy to fear of a potential cancer diagnosis, highlighting that early detection dramatically improves survival rates. “People may fear that they will identify a cancer but what we say in the Irish Cancer Society is if you are diagnosed with a breast cancer at stage one, the chances of survival are 99%,” she explained. “If you are leaving that screening opportunity, you may be diagnosed in a symptomatic clinic at perhaps stage three or stage four of a breast cancer diagnosis, which means it has now moved outside of the breast and into other areas and potentially other organs.”

The HSE anticipates increased demand for BreastCheck services in the coming years, projecting a rise in the eligible population from 500,000 in 2019 to 700,000 by 2029. This growth necessitates a “fundamental review of structure and systems,” according to the HSE, and a long-term strategy involving infrastructure upgrades, increased staffing, and new technology is currently being implemented.

The Irish Cancer Society has reiterated its call for lowering the screening age to 45, arguing it would improve early detection in younger women. However, Nolan stressed the need for resource planning to support such a change. “We need to consider the resources that are required if we are going to screen more of the population if the age range is reduced … HIQA are undergoing a review to observe if that is possible but really the resources need to be set in place now to undertake that for the future.”

A separate issue, a “problem” with viewing the BreastCheck register, was recently reported by the HSE, but the service indicated it would be fixed the following week, according to BreakingNews.ie.