Ms Averil Power:

I understand that when the strategy was published there was a figure of €140 million with €110 million or €125 million for cancer control and €15 million for screening. These are what we were told were the estimates for what it would take to implement it. Since then the cancer control part has only been given €20 million a year in two years in 2021 and 2022, which is what we would consider adequate and proper funding but in years before that, it varied from approximately €2.5 million one year and €3 million and a bit in another year. I believe that €8.9 million was the highest. It has fluctuated and in each of those years, the national cancer control programme has delivered good outcomes. As Professor Kennedy has said, our issue is not with the national cancer control programme. When they are given the budget they have delivered positive outcomes with that but without the money, they cannot.