Mr. Michael Conroy:

The single biggest opportunity area is prevention. Ms Power quoted a figure of 40%, and there are various figures, but between 30% and 40% of cancers are preventable. Distinct policies for cancer have been developed since 1996. We were below the international curve in 1996 but have gradually come up to mid-table since then. We need, in the future, to build on the successes we have had in the past. We have a lot of emphasis on prevention in the first year and a half of implementation of the strategy. We are going about that in an integrated way with Healthy Ireland. It is part of the overall prevention message of the Department and many of the messages about protecting people from cancer are the same as those about protecting people from other illnesses.

There is an ever-increasing number of people living with and beyond cancer because of the successes in treatment we have had over the past ten years. Many people have been diagnosed, had cancer and are now out of it, have survived and are living well beyond cancer. There are 170,000 people in that category. I could talk about developments in treatment but let us focus on the aftermath for a moment. In our discussions around the development of strategy, I particularly remember a patient who talked about looking forward to coming out of treatment and being told she was clear of cancer. When she got to that day, instead of a feeling of euphoria, she described a feeling of fear about losing a comfort blanket and wondering what to do. Structures are needed in that regard. That is something we are working closely with patients on. We are also working hand in hand across the voluntary sector and so on.