Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for her contribution on this matter, which has been very helpful. The HSE's national cancer control programme is aware of the waiting times for risk-reducing mastectomy surgery within the designated cancer centres. These surgeries are carried as part of a prioritisation with other cancer surgeries, and tumour-directed breast cancer surgery for a woman with a cancer diagnosis will invariably be prioritised. I reiterate it has not been decided to suspend this service at St. James's Hospital. Significant funding has been provided by the Government in recent years for cancer services and funding for €20 million of our new development funding was allocated for implementing the recommendations of the national cancer strategy in 2021, with an additional €20 million allocated for the implementation of the strategy in 2022. The model of care will be aligned with the development of a national genetics and genomics strategy to be completed later this year, although we hope it will be sooner.