The National Screening Service was established by the Minister for Health and Children in January 2007. The establishment followed the launch of a Strategy for Cancer Control in Ireland 2006 which advocates a comprehensive cancer control policy programme in Ireland.

The Strategy examined prevention, screening, detection, treatment and management of cancer in Ireland in coming years and recommended the former Board of the National Screening Service.

The National Screening Service, now part of the Health Service Executive (HSE), encompasses four national population based screening programmes:

These programmes aim to reduce morbidity and mortality in the population through early detection of disease and treatment, both of which greatly improve health outcomes.

A screening test is designed for populations of individuals who do not have any symptoms of disease. It aims to identify those with a risk marker for a disease and ensure early treatment.

A screening test is not a diagnostic test, which is designed for individuals with symptoms of a disease or for those identified with a risk marker to assess whether they have it or to follow its progress.

Screening programmes internationally and in Ireland are based on a call /re-call system, where eligible populations are invited to take part and clinical services are provided for the further investigation and treatment of people identified as at risk of having or developing a disease. Population screening programmes aim to balance the benefits of screening (to the population and a large group of women) vs the very real harms (to a small proportion of women).