Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Minister of State well in his new role. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. I commend the invaluable work done by cancer support service volunteers and staff in counties Laois and Offaly, in my constituency. They are the most dedicated people, and I acknowledge that on the public record.

The National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 recognises cancer support services as a valuable resource to cancer patients and their families outside of the acute care setting, as indeed is the HSE's national cancer control programme in its own works, with a network of community cancer support centres. It has been my experience, however, that while the strategy has very noble aims, there is often a great degree of uncertainty around multi-annual funding provision. This is an element I would really like to see addressed. I would like to see the support services having certainty and being able to plan. Of course, they can do that only if they are guaranteed their funding. We need to be in a position to offer our community cancer support services, as I said, the kind of certainty and ability to engage in forward planning that is so vital to their work and to the patients who benefit from the services.

Fund-raising is critical and will always be necessary to a certain degree, but even in this respect there are issues around the impact of the Gambling Regulation Bill on charities' fund-raising ability. Charities' raffles are being classed as a form of commercial gambling. How is that acceptable or appropriate in this context? Will the Minister of State provide a guarantee that cancer support services will not be adversely impacted by the Gambling Regulation Bill 2022? Will he also recommit to examining the issue of multi-annual funding and giving more certainty to our cancer support services? They do fantastic work and I commend them.

See this speech in context