Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

In alluding to the National Cancer Registry Ireland report published about inequalities in cancer care, Ms Power, by and large, answered my next question. As long as we have inequality in our health system, we will continue to have inequalities, particularly in diagnostic care. If people have access to better healthcare because of their financial circumstances, they will be diagnosed quicker than people who have fewer resources. There is no doubt that this is a complicated issue and there are no simple answers but it is alarming that people in less affluent areas have a 28% higher risk of cancer. A number of factors are involved but one of the main factors is accessibility. It makes sense. If people get tests, diagnoses or MRI scans, sometimes years before people in the public health system, it will save their lives. There is no doubt about that. I ask Ms Power to comment on the report published today by the NCRI.