Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Power, to the House. The issue I raise is the need for the Minister for Health and Children to address the high incidence of cancer in disadvantaged urban areas. As the Minister of State is aware, Ireland has among the highest cancer incidences and mortality rates in western Europe and in the western world. Each year, approximately 28,000 new cancer cases are diagnosed and 11,000 die from the disease on this island of 5.5 million people.

Statistics I recently obtained from the National Cancer Registry clearly demonstrate that the incidence of cancer is higher in Dublin city than in surrounding counties and that there are major differences within Dublin city. Certain areas such as Ballybough, west Cabra, Arran Quay, my own constituency of Dublin Central, Ballymun in Dublin North-West and Merchant's Quay in Dublin South-Central have cancer rates over 50% higher than the national average, or what is called the standardised incidence ratio, SIR. Such a high variation from the norm cannot be due to chance and clearly indicates that there are real and substantially greater cancer risks in certain parts of the city over other parts.

A 50% variation from the norm is a very serious matter for the residents of the areas affected. Material deprivation and high smoking levels are suggested by the National Cancer Registry as major factors contributing to higher cancer levels, but it is clear these are not the only factors as other traditionally deprived areas in the city of Dublin have only average rates of cancer. As lung cancer is by far the commonest cause of death from cancer, it is likely that fumes from motor vehicles are a significant factor. However, there may be other local but unknown causes and it is not sufficient for the health authorities simply to speculate about the causes of such a huge variation in the incidence of cancer in the city of Dublin. They must research and determine the causes.

I call on the Health Service Executive to conduct an urgent investigation into the five district electoral divisions in Dublin city where the incidence of cancer exceeds the standardised incidence ratio by 50% or more. By way of information for the Minister of State, Ballybough A, the district electoral division, is 150%, which is 50% above the norm. Ballymun C is 1.68%, which is 68% above the norm. That is very high. Cabra west A is 57% above the norm, while Merchant's Quay A at 1.64% is 64% above the norm. Those are very high incidence rates. Other areas are 20%, 30% and 40% but the fact that five separate electoral areas have levels over 50% above the norm is a massive variation.

The fact that the city of Dublin has a much higher incidence of cancers than the rest of the country demands that the HSE examine this matter. It is not much use saying we have the statistics and from those we speculate that it may be due to smoking or deprivation. What does that mean? There are many areas in Dublin city where these levels are the norm. They are the norm in the area of the north docks, for example, yet an area like Ballybough is over 56% above the norm, Cabra is 60% above the norm and Ballymun is 60% above the norm. That is very serious statistics. Cancer is one of the biggest killers in this country and we do not know the reason for the clusters of cancer in these inner city areas — Ballybough, Merchant's Quay, Arran Quay, Ballymun and Cabra west.

I would be pleased if the Minister of State accepted my proposal that the Health Service Executive should conduct an urgent investigation into these clusters of cancer in the city of Dublin.

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