Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)

I join my colleagues in welcoming the Minister of State to the House and in recognising the excellent work which he, and the Minister, Deputy Martin, are doing in this area. There is no doubt that health generally, and particularly cancer, is an emotive area for very obvious reasons. When people are diagnosed, or presented with a terminal diagnosis, it can be quite difficult for them to accept the situation and therefore there is a recognition that this issue must be treated sensitively. Sometimes I suppose perception takes over from reality, and the Minister of State has addressed that in terms of what is happening with the strategy going forward.

Clearly there is a problem with cancer in this country. I think we all recognise that. Some 20,000 people develop cancer in Ireland each year and 7,500 people die from the disease each year. This is quite a horrifying thought but it is a reality of which the Government and the Minister are well aware. It is also true that we as a country have a higher proportion of cancer fatalities than a number of our near neighbours and this obviously creates some concerns for us. The statistics are quite a staggering, but I believe that the Government and the Minister are striving to remedy this problem at a much faster rate than many of their critics are giving them credit for. Therefore let us accept the fact that the system is not perfect. Nobody in this House believes that it could be rendered perfect overnight, and no doubt none of the countries in close proximity has a perfect system either.

What is really in question is the progress being made. There is no doubt that progress is being and has been made. The Minister and others have detailed a number of the initiatives which have been put in place over the years. Certainly this Government and the previous Government have not been found wanting in that regard, but it would seem that some people refuse to accept that this fantastic progress is being made on an ongoing basis.

Since the launch of national cancer strategy in 1996 considerable strides have been made in terms of the provision of cancer treatment services. Since 1997 approximately €400 million has been pumped into this area. This money has been invested by the Government. If this is put in perspective, it represents an increase of approximately 1250% on the £25 million that had been originally planned to be spent during that period. As the Minister of State indicated earlier, the Government has allocated a sum of €29 million, in this year alone.