Catherine Ardagh (Dublin South Central, Fianna Fail)

It is good to hear that the Minister is well disposed to putting more research into it and trying to assess whether it is an appropriate screening programme. We know from international evidence, including from the UK, the US and across the EU, that low-dose screening reduces mortality, particularly among high-risk groups such as long-term smokers and those with an extended smoking history. Having said that, I also know that many people who are not traditionally in this high-risk group are presenting with lung cancer and sometimes at quite a late stage. From ongoing work here in Ireland, we also know that there is a stigma around lung cancer and that awareness of the symptoms of lung cancer is quite low, particularly among former smokers. The Beaumont pilot programme has been very successful, especially in identifying lung cancer at a very early stage. We know that drugs exist to treat lung cancer at this early stage. When will the national screening advisory committee, which is scheduled to review the work, issue a report on the possibility of a pilot programme?

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