Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response. The difficulty is that it is abundantly clear that genetic and genomic services are a low priority for the HSE when no laboratory capacity was provided for in the new children's hospital. We even have the redevelopment of the Crumlin hospital site as an elective hospital without anybody pointing out that this laboratory service would be forced to close to facilitate this new development. This is just not good enough.

However, it now provides TDs and the Government with the opportunity to provide leadership and direct the HSE and the clinicians to centralise all genetic and genomic services on a single site and develop a state-of-the-art service. This will ensure not only that patients have access to timely results but also that we can expand genomic medicine in Ireland to become a global leader. Cancer, for example, which is a disease of the genome, is caused by gene mutations that lead to uncontrolled cell growth. Genomics offers a promising avenue for cancer care, with about 5% to 10% of cancer-causing mutations being inherited. We can now go much further because comprehensive genomic profiling identifies genomic alterations across cancer types, providing doctors with the information needed for personalised, precision medicines.

As tumours grow, they shed cells into the bloodstream that can be detected by genomic sequencing. This liquid biopsy can detect hereditary factors, assist in cancer screening, aid in diagnosis and therapy selection, and monitor treatment.

The future of genomics in cancer care is bright with the development of personalised mRNA cancer vaccines. These vaccines, currently in clinical trials, use the same technology as Covid-19 vaccines to prevent the spread of cancer cells and, as a result, vaccinate patients who can then remain permanently in remission. However, without the laboratory testing facilities, we are denying Irish patients the opportunity to access this revolutionary cancer care.

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