Mr. Donal Buggy:

We are able to meet some of the demand, but that does not take the place of a properly funded psycho-oncology service, as envisaged in our national cancer strategy. It sets out what I think is a very comprehensive plan for psycho-oncology services, but again the funding is not in place for that. There are also issues for patients' employment. If they are cocooning because they are at significant risk of infection, how can they engage with their employers in such a way that they can work from home? For many people it is impossible to work from home. We need to do many things to support people who remain in that extremely vulnerable position and who cannot enjoy the freedoms many of the rest of us have enjoyed as we have moved out of lockdown. Mental health and joining that up with the services required for these people needs to be given significant consideration.