Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I am privileged to second the motion tabled by my colleague, Senator Henry, as it is a crucial issue. I welcome the Minister of State to the House but cannot understand why it was necessary to table an amendment to the motion. I commented to Senator Henry that this motion would be easy on the Government, as it would not need to be amended. However, here we are.

We have spent considerable time in this Chamber discussing gun crimes and deaths, driving behaviour and road deaths, but if we take the example of any cancer which affects women, such as breast cancer, more people die from this each year than from gun crimes and road traffic accidents combined. Why is there no outcry? Why is this happening when we have the answer? We can talk about controlling guns and changing driver behaviour and catching people who behave badly on our roads to bring them to court, which might or might not work, but we know for an absolute fact that we could possibly save lives in the area of cancer treatment services. We have the knowledge and everything that is needed. All that must be done is to roll out the facilities to every county in the country, but this is not being done. It is extraordinary.

The facts contained in the latest report, Women and Cancer in Ireland 1994-2001, and outlined by my colleague, Senator Henry, are startling. It might have been better had the people who wrote the report written just half of it, as one can reach a state of overload due to statistics. They begin to lose their impact. However, some facts hit me straight in the eye, as it were, including that the death rate from cancer of Irish women is among the highest in Europe. Why is this the case? We are the country with the greatest economic story in the last ten or 15 years, that has made the most progress and been set up as a role model, but we still cannot care for our people in a simple and straightforward way. It is inexcusable.

I do not know why there has not been a revolution due to this matter or how Governments can survive without dealing with it. I do not know how ordinary people everywhere can deal with it. Today, people from the west coast were outside the gates of Leinster House because of the salmon fishing issue. I went out to meet them and support what they are doing. Three weeks ago, boats from the west steamed into Dublin on a demonstration relating to the fishing industry. Along that coast there is hardly any access to the type of screening facilities demanded in this motion but people do not seem to be grasping this issue. Why is that the case? Why are more people not kicking down the doors of Leinster House because of what is happening in their areas? What has gone wrong? Why is it that the economic impact of farming or fishing in rural Ireland, which are serious issues in their own right, can motivate more people to get out onto the streets against the establishment than the issue we are discussing now, an issue of life or death? I do not understand it, although I have tried.

The only effort I can make to deal with it is if I read a comment in the fine preface of the report written by a woman who is or was one of the Minister of State's constituents, Professor Cecily Kelleher. She states that cancer was once associated with unremitting fear but that things have changed. I believe this is incorrect as fear of the word "cancer" still exists. Those who are not close to it are afraid and refuse to engage with it or discuss it. They are happy in ignorance.

Every time I read about cancer I feel uplifted as the stories are all success stories, apart from the greater incidence of cancer. The Government amendment to this motion refers to the reduction in the cancer mortality rate among the under 65 age group. While I do not completely accept this I assume the statement has been tested. We have easily moved from referring to dying of cancer to living with cancer. Anyone who knows someone with cancer knows that this change is real. People can have good quality of life seven or eight years after being diagnosed. A person who was diagnosed with leukemia 20 years ago was given a few years to live but is still living a full, happy life today.

The introduction of mammogram screening is a measure we can afford. Why is this not a priority? It would have full support and immediate results. Politicians are blamed for not accomplishing things because important measures take a long time to make a difference. However, this measure would make an immediate difference. Inviting each woman in Ireland for breast, cervical and other cancer screening would immediately save lives, make an impact on the quality of life in the community and benefit families. There are no negative consequences to this. The worst cancers might be diagnosed too late to cure the person but the measure would extend the life of everybody diagnosed in that period.

What is the difference between cancer, road deaths and gun crime? If we do not make this service available people will die in greater numbers than if there were guns scattered around the countryside. Politicians may like to talk about matters where there is no clear solution but in this case the solution is absolutely clear. This is a cash investment with immediate returns, welcomed by everyone and supported by the community. I urge the Minister of State to apply pressure to make this happen. If it does not happen, we will face a revolution and we will never be thanked.

People become angry with frustration when they realise an early diagnosis could have allowed a loved one to live longer. The Minister of State must have met such people, as I have. What is more important in pro-life Ireland than to protect and save life? A panoply of institutions, such as the Garda Síochána, courts and prisons exist to combat gun crime and road traffic deaths yet the issue of cancer has a more negative impact on society. We should take steps to improve the situation.

Breast and cervical cancer screening must be made available to women in every county in Ireland. An information programme is of equal importance so people know the diagnosis of cancer is not a death sentence. If the disease is diagnosed early it is not a death sentence in the majority of cases. The campaign should show the success rate that can be achieved if people are checked.

On a number of occasions Senator Glynn has mentioned the fear men have of being tested for prostate cancer. People do not want to be tested because of the fear of what they may find. If one is diagnosed with cancer one knows what one might not otherwise have known for four or five years and one can be kept alive.

A breast and cervical screening programme must be fully implemented. We also need appropriate tests for those who are worried their genes may make them more susceptible to cancer. These tests are being done but it is too late in many cases. I also suggest we launch an education programme on diet, lifestyle, alcohol and smoking. This has been done to great effect with regard to smoking and the programme should show how these other aspects can also affect lives and how they can be controlled to save lives.

People will rise up and take on the political world and we will all be swept under when they learn what we know. If we were told 644 people would die of avian influenza in the next year nothing would stop us from dealing with it. Tests and screenings would be put in place but we have become anaesthetised to death in the case of cancer. In fact, it may be described as killing rather than dying because we could prevent it. Will someone take a class action against an Irish Government because a family member died unnecessarily?