David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the Minister and the Minister of State. Men's health is not a topic which gets proper attention. There is a silent crisis in men's health which is devastating families and communities across the State. Both the Minister and the Minister of State are correct to appeal to men to look after their health, to seek support, to get checks and to make sure that if there is a difficulty they go to a GP and so on.

It is also the case, however, that far too many people generally, but particularly men, in relation to cancer and cardiac care, very often are left waiting even for a simple diagnostic scan or a scope and so on. The length of time public patients are waiting for scopes and scans is far too long. I know the stress that can place on people who, for example, might fear that they have a cancer or an illness. They will go to the GP, the GP will refer them on for a scan and, unfortunately, they wait far too long.

We all have experience of people contacting our constituency offices, mine in Waterford is no different, and saying that they have been with their GP and are concerned about the possibility of cancer or whatever. These people are waiting for scans and do not know when they will be called. They could be waiting months in some instances. While it is right to say that men should reach out, we also have to make sure that when they reach out - if they go to a GP and if there is a fear of an illness, whether it is cancer or cardiac disease - there is rapid access to a diagnostic scan. That is not always the case.

The facts are very stark in relation to men's health, as laid out in the recent The Real Face of Men's Health report commissioned by Movember - which was mentioned by the Minister and Minister of State - and by the Men's Health Forum in Ireland and research carried out at the South East Technological University in Waterford and Carlow. The HSE's men's health action plan says much the same. Men are dying younger than they should. Two in five men in Ireland will die before the age of 75. Men are 34% more likely to die from cancer and much more likely to die from lifestyle-related illnesses. Men account for four in every five deaths by suicide.

This burden, unfortunately, is not spread equally. Men from lower income backgrounds live, on average, five years less than men from well-off backgrounds. This is a major societal problem that demands a comprehensive Government response. The HSE's action plan acknowledges this emergency. It notes that men are more likely to die from the four main cancers, from circulatory diseases, from respiratory diseases and from external causes of injury. It highlights significant challenges in the area men's mental health, particularly among younger men from lower income or Traveller backgrounds.

Critically, the report highlights the disparity in how the Government resources healthcare. Important funding has been given in recent years for vital women's health services and we still have a long way to go in that area but the HSE is also calling for a commensurate response for men's health. Where was that in the budget? The budget for health seems to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Nobody knows exactly what are the new measures or the new money, or where the latter is going. It seems to be the best kept secret in the Department of Health and the HSE. In fact, we had people from the Irish Cancer Society and the national cancer control programme before us today. None of them was able to tell us if there was any additional funding for cancer services or the national cancer strategy in budget 2026. We suspect that the vast majority of whatever additional funding was put into health this year was for existing levels of service and not for new measures.

That is the important point we have to make. What is really important in healthcare is referral pathways. The Minister of State, Deputy Butler rightly called on men to step forward, to go to their GPs or whomever and to talk to somebody if they have a mental health issue. However, we also have to make sure the resources and the referral pathways are there. That is not always the case. We have heard some horrendous stats today in relation to cancer for both men and women from the representatives of the Irish Cancer Society. We have a responsibility as legislators. The Government has a great responsibility to ensure that resources are put in place in order that when people reach out, they get the care they need.

Across all of these areas, while I welcome the chance to have a debate with the Minister, I have to reinforce the point that it is very frustrating that this year - and I have spoken to senior officials in the Department about this - there was a very clear departure from the normal budgetary process. It has not been not made clear where any of the additional money in health will be spent. I do not believe that is right or the best way to fund a health service. I have no idea. I cannot tell my constituents or any advocate groups that come to me where any additional money is for cardiovascular or cancer services, mental health treatments or any of the matters we are talking about. That is wrong.

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