Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

It would be helpful if the Minister of State could arrange for a copy of his speech to be sent to the spokespeople.

The point the majority of speakers made is that there is not a national colorectal screening programme in Ireland. An expert report has been published which recommends that there should be screening but as yet we do not have a timeframe, nor do we have a funding decision to begin the preliminary work. The question is when the national cancer screening service will get the go-ahead to begin preliminary work on this, which I understand involves an allocation of some money. A total of €1 million has been mentioned as the amount needed to begin the process. Can the Minister of State give the House any more information on whether the decision will be progressed? It is a question about decision making in this area at this stage. It is clear there is goodwill and the information. We do not have to reinvent the wheel on it because other countries have done this, and we know how to move forward. The question is whether the Minister has any information. Will the national cancer screening service get a decision, some financial provision and a timeline to begin the work towards developing a national screening programme? Does the Minister intend making a decision shortly on the health technology assessment, which report she will get very soon? Will that decision be made this year?