The Health Service Executive's BreastCheck national screening service has missed its screening targets for two years in a row, according to new figures.
The service target last year was for 195,000 women and others to be screened, but the service performed 137,134 checks.
For the previous year, 2023, the target was 185,000 people to be screened, but the service performed 166,532 checks.
The new figures were secured through a parliamentary question submitted by Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín.
BreastCheck is a free breast screening programme for those aged 50 to 69 years, usually around every two years.
Around 3,500 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed in Ireland each year.
Mr Tóibín said that the collapse in cancer screening will lead to increased incidents of cancer, advanced cancers and deaths. He said that cancer screening is a life saving service and that cuts will have tragic consequences.
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has requested that she receive, in the coming weeks, an action plan from the National Screening Service to increase the number of mammograms.
Global shortage of radiology staff - HSE
In a response to the figures, the HSE said that the screening service is affected by a global shortage of radiology staff.
The executive said that it has not been able to increase the screening numbers to keep pace with the growing population.
"Despite these pressures, we are expanding capacity - recruiting new consultants and radiographers, adding mobile units, upgrading our IT system and using new technology such as text reminders."
The HSE said that it is focusing on those at higher risk, those waiting the longest, and women in communities who find it harder to access screening.
It added that the uptake of screening remains high, and was 72% last year. The programme standard is 70%.
BreastCheck was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and paused for several months in 2020 and 2021.
In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, the screening numbers fell to 56,270.
For cervical screening, last year, the service exceeded its target of 178,000 and performed over 194,800 screenings.
In the case of BowelScreen, the target was 148,000 screenings and over 139,750 were performed.
The Chief Executive of the National Screening Service said the number of women in the 50-69 age group has been increasing year-on-year, but recruitment has not kept up.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Fiona Murphy said there is a global shortage of radiographers and radiologists and that recruitment in his sector has been "particularly difficult" across Europe.
"Whilst we have recruited quite a few staff over the last couple of years, and the Government have funded us to increase even more this year, we know this is a global issue, it's not just us," she said.
Ms Murphy said that anyone who expected to have been called for a check, but has not, should go to the register online and check that they are on it and make sure their mobile phone number is correct.
She also said that it is "really important" for women to be aware of what is normal for them and there is information on the HSE website about checking your breasts.
Govt 'committed' to screening programmes - minister
Minister Carroll McNeill said that she "has required that the National Screening Service prepare an Action Plan to increase the number of mammograms offered to women to be given to her in the coming weeks".
In a statement, she said that "a key discussion point" at a meeting with the service on 1 July "was the number of women screened in the BreastCheck programme" as well as "efforts to reduce the number of women waiting longer than two years for a routine screening".
"The Government is fully committed to supporting our population screening programmes and advancing cancer screening.
"Significant investment in cancer screening and women's health has been made in recent years, including the 2025 budget, which allocated €2.9m to BreastCheck.
"Ireland has the 5th highest uptake of breast cancer screening in the EU," the minister said.
Irish Cancer Society alarmed by missed target
Irish Cancer Society CEO Averil Power said the target being missed will lead to women being diagnosed with cancers that are "harder to treat".
Speaking to RTÉ’s News At One, she said: "The programme operates for between 50 to 69, but we know that women are now being called at 52 or 53, rather than at 50."
Watch: Irish Cancer Society CEO says organisation is alarmed by missed target
Ms Power said the charity is really alarmed by the target being missed by 60,000.
"We are not surprised because it is an entirely predictable outcome of underinvestment in cancer services and in particular of the HSE recruitment embargo," she said.
It "meant that there were less radiographers in breast check in 2024 than 2023," Ms Power said.
She said there is a real human impact to all of this.
"While most breast cancers are picked up when women notice changes in their breast and are referred to their GP for further investigation, screening also has a really important role to play ... in picking up earlier stage ones that are too small for you to see or feel yourself," she said.
Ms Power added that the 60,000 deficit makes it inevitable that many women are diagnosed later than they could have been with cancers that are harder to treat.
"Screening is there for a reason and these targets are there for a reason, which is to save lives. And when the services are being underfunded to the extent that it has been in the last few years we are missing opportunities to do that," she said.
Ms Power added that there had been 20 extra radiographers provided for in the last budget but that it needs to be doubled.
"We really need to see a massive increase in investment in the budget," she said.
