John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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Question 3: To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide funding for a national screening programme for prostate cancer involving a simple examination and a PSA blood test which a prostate cancer charity recently described as the first line of defence against the disease; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26436/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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International evidence does not support the introduction of a population-based screening programme for prostate cancer at this time. The Department and the HSE are keeping the emerging international evidence under review, including the results of randomised trials that are being conducted internationally.

However, I am pleased that Deputy Halligan has raised the issue and the recent publicity on prostate cancer is welcome. I am pleased to advise that rapid access prostate cancer diagnostic clinics are now operational in six of the eight designated cancer centres. Two further clinics are due to open later this year. Patients who are judged to be at higher risk of prostate cancer, based on agreed high-risk criteria, are being fast tracked directly to these clinics. These patients will have a definitive diagnosis established within two weeks of referral and, if cancer is confirmed, they will have immediate access to a multidisciplinary specialist cancer consultation regarding appropriate management. I encourage any man who has concerns in this regard to contact his GP for referral, where that is deemed appropriate.

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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I am disappointed, to a degree, by the Minister's answer. The statistics show that well over 2,500 men in Ireland are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, with deaths reaching well over 550 per year. Prostate cancer has become the most common male cancer in Irish men, one in 12 of whom will develop it. There is extensive publicity about breast cancer, but incredibly, the risk of a man getting prostate cancer is only 2% lower. Those are significant statistics. With the ageing population, it is predicted that there will be a 275% increase in prostate cancer by 2020. The statistics also show that early detection is crucial. More than 69% of men who have not shown any signs of prostate cancer, but in whom it is detected by the test, will survive. The prostate cancer charity recently estimated that two thirds of men who are at risk of prostate cancer do not know that the simple blood test is available. Is there funding for national screening and a national information programme? Many men are not even aware of the availability of the simple PSA blood test.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I have to accept what the medical experts tell me and they say at this moment in time, particularly when we have to make hard choices about where the limited resources we have are spent, decisions and responses must be informed. On many occasions since I entered office, I said our policy would be evidence-based and so it will be.

The second part of the Deputy's question related to funding for charity to raise awareness of the possible symptoms. I have no issue with that and I will discuss it with the Deputy. There is little sense, however, if I am left with a choice between colorectal cancer screening and prostate cancer screening and there is no international evidence to support the latter and there is ample evidence to support the former, in doing other than what I am advised by the range of experts the Department has access to internationally.

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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I accept the six fast-track clinics that have been chosen but those are for people who have already been diagnosed with prostate cancer who can be fast-tracked for treatment. Surely when we are talking about saving money, all the international evidence shows that early intervention saves lives and reduces costs. To go for a simple PSA test without a medical examination costs €20. I have spoken to doctors about this and they say it should be done free because it would not cost the health service a huge amount. Why do people not pay for it? In the current climate, and given that many men are now even aware of it, it would be a small cost to the health budget to roll out national screening, which would inevitably save money for people who would be diagnosed with cancer having to be treated. The 2,500 men who have to be treated each year would be substantially reduced, as has been shown in many countries. This does not make economic sense.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I do not want to get into a debate on the sensitivities of the prostate specific antigen blood test, which is not 100% infallible and I accept the Deputy is passionate about this and he is trying to save lives and that is the business of my Department as well. In reality, however, it happens that patients who do not have symptoms are picked up in examinations for all conditions. That does not mean that by providing a hugely expensive screening programme, the sort of results the Deputy wants to see will happen in terms of picking up cases early, not having high false positives and worrying people unnecessarily. There is a raft of criteria that medical experts can present. The best thing I can do is speak to the Deputy directly about the existing medical evidence behind the rationale for this decision. If he still has issues I am happy for him to come back to the House and have a further debate.