Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister of State very much and I wish him every good luck in his role.

I thank firstly all of the medical personnel who help people who go through their journey of cancer. I pay a particular word of thanks to the people who work in Kerry on Daffodil Day and to all of the volunteers who voluntarily raise funds. I thank the people involved in the Kerry-Cork link cancer bus which carries people who are suffering from cancer on their journey to the centre of excellence, which is very important.

A very important issue was raised recently with me by individuals with concerns. Currently, bowel cancer screening is open to those aged 59 to 69. Despite commitments made both in the national cancer strategy and the programme for Government in 2020 that this would be prioritised, the Department of Health declined to give a timeline for when the age of eligibility for bowel-screened cancer will be expanded and extended to the targeted 55 to 74-year-old group. That is very important. I cannot see how people could actually think that there is not a possibility of a person getting bowel cancer just because one goes beyond a certain birthday. That does not make sense.

Despite the lack of proper treatments and access to cancer care diagnosis and treatment, we now know that expensive equipment to deliver radiotherapy to cancer patients, for example, is lying idle due to a lack of staff and the inequality gap between those in the public and private system. That is increasing according to the Irish Cancer Society.

I thank the Irish Cancer Society very much for the excellent work it does. There are people in paid positions but there is also an army of people who work on a voluntary basis. I pay tribute to the nurses and to the night nurses who take people through the journey when their time in this world is coming to an end. They are so kind and are like angels sent down from heaven when they go into a house. When they stay overnight, for example, with a person who has a terminal illness, we are forever indebted to those angels of people who help others at their most vulnerable and weakest time. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for that.

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