A campaign to extend breast-screening to all parts of the country was about the right of women to have their lives saved, it was stated at the launch yesterday.
The Labour Party has begun its drive to extend the BreastCheck screening programme beyond the eastern region to the south and west.
Ms Liz McManus, the party's health spokeswoman, said women in the Republic were dying needlessly because of the lack of free screening which would detect cancer early.
"It is estimated that 65 women per year in Ireland are dying needlessly because they've got the wrong address," Ms McManus said.
The failure of the Minister for Health to extend the service was maintaining a health apartheid for women, she said.
BreastCheck had been an enormous success in areas where it was available, but this vital service was being denied to women in half of the country, Ms McManus said.
Last week an all-Ireland cancer report proved that breast screening in Northern Ireland had reduced breast cancer fatalities by 20 per cent over a decade.
"We know now that breast cancer screening services literally save lives. Sadly, because of the absence of a similar level of screening in the Republic, the rate of breast cancer fatalities remains high," Ms McManus said.
The press conference announcing the campaign was attended by Labour Party representatives from the south and west, Europa Donna Ireland and Action Breast Cancer.
The campaign will also take off this weekend in parts of the country without free breast screening and will involve petitions and distribution of leaflets.