Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Ar dtús báire, ní aontaím leis an Teachta maidir le cúrsaí a bhaineann le hailse sa tír seo mar is léir le blianta beaga anuas – deich mbliana anuas – go bhfuil dul chun cinn ollmhór le feiscint ní hamháin i seirbhísí ailse agus sláinte ach sa mhéid daoine a bhfuil ag teacht slán ón ailse. Tá dul chun cinn le feiscint againn. Tá sé soiléir agus níl aon fhianaise ann go bhfuil sé ag laghdú ag an nóiméad seo.

The first point I would make, which the Deputy did not reference at all, is that there has been a dramatic improvement in cancer care in this country in recent years. In the four years since this Government was formed, significant investment has gone into the implementation of the cancer strategies. Our mortality rate for all cancers, including cancer of the trachea, bronchus and lung, has dropped by 11% in the past ten years. Cancer of the female breast has dropped by 19% and 10%. Survival rates are improving significantly. Some 65% of patients lived for over five years after a cancer diagnosis between 2014 and 2018, compared with 44% between 1994 and 1998. That is the result of successive cancer strategies and the centralisation of cancer services, which many of the Deputies opposite opposed in their day. I know that, as a former Minister for Health. I had to fight political battle after political battle across the country when the centralisation of services occurred. That has been probably the most impactful policy evolution on survival rates in respect of cancer.

In 2021 and 2022 alone, an additional €40 million was invested in national cancer services. That brought in new treatments for cancer patients and has reduced waiting times to access diagnosis and treatment. Funding of €70 million for new radiation oncology facilities in Galway has been provided. We can look at the example of cancer drugs. We put in an additional €30 million for additional drugs at the beginning of this Government because there was a period when new medicines were not sanctioned as quickly as they could have been. The HSE has approved 148 new medicines in the past three years and there has been new medicine funding of approximately €98 million. The total expenditure at the end of last year was approximately €327 million.

That is 61 new drugs or new uses of existing drugs specifically in the area of oncology. New treatments have been funded. For the first time ever, CAR-T cell therapy is available at St. James's Hospital and radiolabeled therapy and peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, PRRT, can be accessed at St. Vincent's University Hospital. These services will expand, which means cancer patients will no longer have to travel abroad to receive these specific treatments. As the Deputy knows, the expansion of the radiation oncology facilities in Galway under the national programme for radiation oncology means that patients can received stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, which targets intensive doses of radiation at tumours while avoiding damage to surrounding tissue, again reducing potential side effects for patients.

In essence, there have been very progressive advancements in treatment and cancer care. There have been dramatic improvements in survival rates following cancer diagnoses and a significant reduction in mortality rates from all forms of cancers. In some forms of cancer, there has been a significant reduction in mortality rates.

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