Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for the absence of the Minister, Deputy Harris. As Members are aware, he has been trying to do a lot of things in recent days and he has asked me to respond to the debate on his behalf.

I thank all the Senators who participated in what is probably one of the most important discussions that has happened in a long time in this Chamber and in the Dáil. As the Minister, Deputy Harris, said today, it is essential that we do not lose focus on the women who are at the centre of this case. I add my voice to those who have already paid tribute to Vicky Phelan and the courage she has shown in speaking out about what happened to her and her family. There are no adequate words to express my outrage, nor undo what has been done. I sincerely wish Mrs. Phelan well in her continued treatment.

As we all know, cervical cancer is a serious issue in Ireland, and we must establish all the facts in this case as quickly as possible, so that women can begin to feel trust and confidence in the cervical screening process again. The Minister has outlined the steps which the Government will take to ensure that. The main message I want to convey here this afternoon is that women can and should continue to participate in the CervicalCheck programme. The international evidence base is clear. Organised, population-based screening is the most effective way to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer. We have seen what happened in this country - since 2010 the incidence of cervical cancer has been falling. Every year in Ireland approximately 270 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and, sadly, 90 of them die from it. Cervical cells change slowly and take time to develop into cancer cells, making cervical cancer a preventable disease. Even with the inherent challenges in screening, having regular smear tests can pick up early cell changes - precancerous growths - and reduce the risk of cervical cancer. I must emphasise how important it is that women continue to have their smear tests, which can and will continue to save lives.

In January of this year I launched the Pearl of Wisdom campaign. More than 200 women sat in a hall and listened to stories from women who had cancer and women who survived cancer. In recent days I have been haunted by the faces of many of the people who were there on the day. I know many of them because they are local women. I sincerely hope that whatever happens in the coming weeks and months, we can look into people's faces, in particular those of young women, and guarantee them that we will do as much as possible to ensure we never have such an incident happen again in this country.

Since the inception of the CervicalCheck programme, more than 1,200 cancers have been detected. In addition, 30,000 low grade abnormalities and over 50,000 high grade abnormalities have been diagnosed and treated. The identification and treatment of such abnormalities prevents them from developing into cervical cancer. That is incredibly important for all women and also for young women who have yet to begin or complete their families, as treatment for cervical cancer can have a significant impact on fertility.

As I have said, the incidence of cervical cancer is failing. Data published by the national cancer registry shows a significant downward trend in the incidence of invasive cervical cancer between 2010 and 2015, a reduction of approximately 7% annually. We also know that there has been an increase in the percentage of cancers diagnosed at stage 1, up from 41% between 1994 and 1998, to 47% between 2009 and 2013. The diagnosis of cancer at the earliest stage possible is an important determinant of survival. Cancers diagnosed at an earlier stage also result in less invasive treatment and better quality of life post treatment.

As Minister of State with responsibility for health promotion, I have responsibility for the implementation of policies under the Healthy Ireland framework. Cancer prevention sits fully into the Healthy Ireland approach as one of its main goals to protect the public from threats to their health and well-being. As well as screening for certain cancers, we are taking a population approach to encourage and support people to live healthier lives and to reduce the prevalence of cancer risk factors by making positive changes in terms of diet and physical activity as well as by managing mental well-being.

In order to set out our future path towards better health in terms of cancer, last year the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 was launched, which will govern the provision of cancer services in Ireland over the next decade. Cancer prevention is the cornerstone of this cancer strategy as it offers the most cost-effective, long-term approach for cancer control. The overall vision of the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 is to prevent cancer and work to improve the treatment, health and well-being, experiences and outcomes of those living with and beyond cancer.

The strategy also has a strong focus on patient involvement. Patients have direct experience of the health system and this provides them with insight which is not always available to policymakers. That is an important perspective which has not always been considered in policy decisions and can contribute to the provision of safe, high quality, patient-centred care. By focusing on what matters to patients we can enhance the quality of the service we provide and the experience of the patient using that service. As part of the development of the strategy, a cancer patient forum was established. The cancer patient forum had an extremely valuable impact on the strategy development process and the Minister and all involved acknowledged that its contribution resulted in a better strategy. In order to build on the work of the cancer patient forum, the Department will shortly establish a cancer patient advisory committee. Preliminary work has begun on the establishment of the committee and I expect that it will be in place by mid-year.

I would like to finish by again offering my most sincere apologies to Vicky Phelan, and to all those women who were not informed of their inclusion in the review process. I hope that the outcome of the investigation into these issues will provide some clarity for those affected and restore peace of mind for those women using the service. On a personal level I wish to say that I do not believe it is time for name calling or looking for people's heads. It is a challenging time in the history of the country. Women's health must now become a priority. Never again should women have to wait for three and four years to learn they had a problem with their health. If we continue to work together, on all sides of the Chamber, and in the Dáil, people will see a real change in the future in women's health.

I thank all Senators who contributed, and also the Members of the Dáil who contributed. It has been a challenging week for us all, especially for the young women in our families. I have four young daughters and two of them contacted the helpline. I also have nieces and cousins who have also contacted the helpline. For that reason I believe that women in every family across the country need assurance and peace of mind about their health. We are obligated, as women, but also given our privileged position in the Dáil and Seanad, to do our utmost together to bring closure and help to those people who are suffering today because of the mistakes that have been made in recent years. My sincere apologies to all of them. I hope to continue to work with the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the rest of the team in the Department of Health to provide some peace to those people who are needlessly suffering.