Ms Averil Power:

As outlined, the numbers of Irish people with cancer are rising at such a rate that we need to invest a lot more just to stand still and maintain existing services. There are completely unacceptable waiting lists for existing services such as screening, diagnostic tests and radiotherapy, let alone fulfil commitments given in the national cancer strategy. That is why we call for more money to be given to the NCCP, in which there are excellent professionals working who would like to do more, but they can only work within the budget they have been given by the Government which simply is not enough. Patients are suffering as a result.