Professor Riste?rd ? Laoide:

The NCRI released its report today so I have not read it in detail. I completely agree with the Deputy that the "28% higher mortality risk" for this group is concerning. We welcome the NCRI report and we will study it. There are underlying factors such as education, employment and income, which can affect people's healthcare generally and have a similar impact in cancer care. Differences exist in the exposure to and knowledge of risk factors. Differences exist about the knowledge of access to screening services. Differences exist in funding, including the ability to go on transport to hospital or go to screening services. This needs much more targeted attention. As I said earlier, we are working with the Sláintecare healthcare communities project, which operates in 19 disadvantaged community areas and focuses on factors that lead to higher risk factors in those regions. We also did a Think Lung Cancer campaign in disadvantaged areas to raise awareness of lung cancer signs, symptoms and risk factors. Last year, we conducted a general attitudes study but this year we will conduct a targeted study among the Traveller community to ascertain their awareness of the risk factors and symptoms and hear from them the barriers to access to it.

I wish to point out that the rapid access clinics are open to everyone and GPs are aware of these clinics. There is a direct access to diagnostics, which is being rolled out to GPs and, again, that service is open to everyone. A policy decision has been made to continue with this important scheme.