Ms Deborah Kelleher:

UCC places came on stream about three years ago, with 12 postgraduate places. Originally, in 1996, there were 12 radiation therapists trained nationally. Now, in 2024, there are 30. That is not a massive increase considering the increase in the cancer incidence. While there are 12 places in UCC, they cannot be filled because they are not partly funded. It is my understanding that while the HSE has an agreement with the diagnostic services to partly fund some places, there is no such reciprocation regarding radiation therapy.