Ms Averil Power:

There are two points to be made in that regard. Four out of ten cancers are preventable. A key part of the strategy was to get the numbers down. A target that will not be met is that for smoking.

Early diagnosis is crucial. The main determinant of cancer survival is the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed. It was particularly distressing in recent years to see the impact of Covid on diagnostics. There were two years in which thousands of cancers went undiagnosed as a result of Covid. We are concerned that there has not been a sufficient investment to clear the backlog as soon as possible and build more capacity so nobody will be waiting too long for a test. The target times for tests, even in the rapid access clinics, have been exceeded consistently since the strategy was published. This points to a particular area of inequality because, once you get a cancer diagnosis in Ireland, treatment is, for the most part, as good in the public service, if not better. There are issues concerning access to medicine, which I mentioned, but early diagnosis is crucial. The reality is that people who cannot afford to get tests privately must wait far longer for colonoscopies and other essential diagnostic tests than those who can afford to go to a private a hospital. That is an incredible inequality that continues to obtain. Diagnostics comprise a key aspect, and we have not seen as much progress as we would have hoped for in this area.