Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to support the motion put before this House and I commend my colleague, Deputy Cullinane, for bringing it forward. We all agree cancer screening is the main tool we have in the diagnosis and treatment of this destructive, invasive and malignant disease. For instance, breast cancer screening is associated with a 40% reduction in cancer mortality. Colorectal cancer screening is associated with a 22% to 32% reduction in cancer mortality with a follow-up of 53% success rate.

Each of us in this House has lost relatives or dear friends or know someone in our communities who has died because of this disease. A collective approach is needed in the challenges ahead. Therefore, a collective duty of care to our citizens must be our first and foremost priority. The only way we can seriously do this is by prioritising cancer screening. The national cancer strategy is operating under stress and strain. Cancer screening has dropped to a completely unacceptable and disproportionate level compared with this time last year. Medical oncology services are operating below 70% capacity. Studies have shown that more than 50% of women who have developed cervical cancer have not had appropriate screening. It was reported in January this year that less than 13% of women awaiting colposcopy services were seen at separate colposcopy clinics in counties Sligo and Wexford.

We need an organised system that can deliver appropriate risk assessments. We need a system that can ensure screening at recommended intervals, provide prompt diagnosis and treatment and that provides essential transport for cancer patients. The only way this can happen is to provide additional funding and an immediate review of the national cancer strategy. If we allow cancer screening to be tangled up and constrained under the current regimes of the Covid-19 pandemic then we have miserably failed our citizens. I ask for the Minister of State's full support for this motion.

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