Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

Approximately 2,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed and around 950 deaths occur from this disease each year in Ireland. Due to our ageing population and the long period in people's lives over which risk factors are built up, we can expect an increase in the numbers of colorectal cancer cases in the coming years. The national cancer registry has projected that approximately 3,400 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed per annum by 2020.

As with many cancers, early detection and treatment is one of the most effective measures of avoiding premature death. This is the reason population based screening programmes are so important and it explains why the national cervical screening programme was accorded a higher priority than the HPV vaccine programme. CervicalCheck is being implemented at a full year cost of €43 million. There are between 250 to 300 new cases of cervical cancer per year and 70 to 100 deaths. The successful implementation of CervicalCheck will result in a reduction of up to 80% in deaths from this disease.

On 17 June, two reports were published on screening for colorectal cancer. The first was a report by the national cancer screening service board on the development of a national colorectal cancer screening programme. The second was a health technology assessment carried out by the Health Information and Quality Authority. Both reports confirm that a properly organised screening programme would have huge public health benefits and that population based colorectal cancer screening would be highly cost effective. Notwithstanding the current budgetary situation, I am anxious to introduce such a programme at the earliest opportunity. Accordingly, I have requested HIQA to explore ways of delivering a high quality colorectal cancer screening programme within existing cancer screening resources and based on the range of advice contained in the two expert reports. That work will be overseen by an expert advisory group comprising representatives of key stakeholders, including my Department, the national cancer screening service, the HSE national cancer control programme, the National Hospitals Office, the Irish Cancer Society and clinicians.

HIQA's report is to be provided to me by the end of September and I will decide how to proceed when I examine it. The national cancer screening service has advised that based on previous experience it would take in excess of two years to proceed from policy and funding approval to the commencement of a national screening programme.

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