Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the initiative to prevent below-cost selling of alcohol. The Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 is one of the most important Bills we have seen. I am aware that there has been criticism that it has not gone far enough, but one has to start somewhere. As well as providing for low-cost selling, the ban on advertising, the warning on the labels and the calorie counts will have the effect of making people think. We are all aware of what the Road Safety Authority achieved with its advertising campaigns and what it did for road deaths. I hope this Bill, which provides for a ban on advertising will be similarly successful. I sit on the Tallaght drugs task force. Last year, the Minister with responsibility for drugs task forces ensured that alcohol was included in their remit, as it is a drug. I welcome that.

Today is world cancer day. I know we have much criticism of the health services. The purpose of world cancer day is to make people aware of cancer and the benefits of early detection. In Ireland, the survival rate for all cancers has increased from 45% in 1999 to 60% in 2011. All the cancer specialists, the hospitals and all involved in the cancer area from 1999 to date must be congratulated on the advances made by this country in ensuring that people are living longer. Breast cancer treatment has an 85% success rate, while prostrate cancer treatment has a 92% success rate and so on. I remind the House that BreastCheck is available free of charge to everybody over the age of 50; cervical smear tests and bowel screening are also available free of charge. I want to use the day to bring these issues to everybody's attention. While I am aware of criticism of the health services - and rightly so, in some areas - there are many people in the health service who do very good work. One will hear people say that when they get into hospital they are well looked after by the staff.

I was going to say something on the DEIS issue but I will leave it for tomorrow.