Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The national cancer strategy provides recommendations concerning the monitoring, testing and provision of comprehensive care to people who have an inherited predisposition to cancer, and the national cancer control programme, NCCP, leads on the development of services for this potential patient cohort. The national cancer control programme hereditary model of care was published last August. I recognise that Deputy Staunton has been advocating on this issue for some time. That is a very important step forward. The national cancer strategy was launched in 2017. It has taken time to get to the hereditary model of care but it has now been published. It is a plan for the further development of services for people who have a predisposition to cancer. A steering group is in place, which is chaired by the director of the NCCP and includes patient representatives. Under this model, specialist cancer services will work as part of a national genetic service. This is being supported by an investment of nearly €5 million in the national genetics and genomic strategy, which was launched a little over a year ago, and an additional 18 posts. We are very aware of this issue. The hereditary cancer model of care is going to help with that. I know there are people who might want to be tested for the BRCA gene. Testing and identification can be life-changing and life-saving, so this is certainly an area on which we are progressing.

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