Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a massively important issue. He is right that it is entirely possible that this country, and indeed many others, will come through the Covid pandemic, albeit with undoubted tragedy, pain and hurt, only for more people to pass away or get very sick from other illnesses through secondary morbidity and secondary mortality. We need to work collectively against that.

As a result of the considerable efforts of the Irish people, we have, thankfully, not yet seen our hospitals and intensive care units overwhelmed in the way they could have been, although that does not take away from the personal tragedies that have occurred. We also have some capacity now in private hospitals and that is something about which the Deputy has been engaging with me. We absolutely need to now have non-Covid care running alongside Covid care. At the meeting of National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, on Tuesday of this week, the blanket ban on non-Covid related procedures, treating cancer and other diseases, was changed. Assessments in that regard will now be based on a clinical and operational assessment. The HSE is now finalising its non-Covid care plans.

Specifically on the Deputy's question about cancer, the first message we must get out is that GP services are open and safe, and that GPs want to see their patients. GPs have led on the establishment of our community assessment hubs which provide a pathway for care for people with Covid in the community to keep general practice Covid-free. That is further, welcome reassurance that GPs are providing.

The national cancer control programme has today done exactly what the Deputy has suggested and started a major public awareness campaign. I would welcome the Deputy's input on how we can make the campaign as good as possible. The campaign is telling people not to delay, or ignore symptoms, but to pick up the phone and use the available cancer services.

The reopening of screening is going to be a clinical decision taken by the national cancer control programme in consultation with NPHET. I would like to see it up and running as quickly as possible but I am conscious that it needs to be done in a safe way and at an appropriate time.

I do not want to use up the Deputy's time but there are a number of issues under consideration and being worked through between the Department, the HSE and the national cancer control programme, including medical oncology services, continuing with the relocation of day wards where necessary, and continuing with provisions made for physical distancing in radiation oncology services. Maintaining urgent surgical oncology services is a priority, with many of those services now relocating to the private hospitals. Cancer care is absolutely a priority, as is getting non-Covid care running alongside Covid care, and a lot of good work has been undertaken by our healthcare professionals.

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