Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for attending the Chamber in the stead of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly. As we know, earlier in the week, a group of prominent oncologists wrote to the Taoiseach outlining the crucial need for new and recurrent multi-annual funding to the national cancer control programme in 2024 and to commit to ring-fenced funding to enable full delivery of the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026. Why do they do this? They do this because cancer patients and survivors deserve nothing less. That is why we are here and why I am standing up and raising this issue.

Most of us are aware of the statistics, which are stark. The statistics are that one in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime. What we sometimes forget is that behind every statistic is a living, breathing person – a person with parents, children, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends. That kind of thinking puts things in a different light. It certainly adds to the urgency, and that urgency is what I would like to impress on everyone today.

We have the capacity to do this. There has been huge investment in cancer services in this country. There have been huge one-off investments. What we need and what we are looking for is ring-fenced multi-annual funding. Part of the investment in 2022 saw €35 million in extra funding to cancer services, which included €20 million for new drug development and €15 million for new cancer high-tech drugs. This is amazing and commendable.

This investment shows we can do it. It shows we got 172 staff recruited to cancer services; €20 million in new development funding for cancer services leading to improved access and reduced waiting time for patients; €3 million support for cancer surgeries helped services return to pre-pandemic 2019 volumes; €3.4 million support for rapid-access clinics increased capacity and reduced waiting times; and €3 million for chemotherapy and immunotherapy provided support for more patients to receive treatment and for the introduction of new treatment such as paediatric CAR T-cell therapy and radioligand therapy.

Increased and targeted investment in cancer services clearly benefits patients who are experiencing reduced waiting times, improved radiotherapy services and getting better care in our cancer centres. However, we have to do even more for our cancer services and continue to improve and build on the progress made so far. We know investment pays off but what we need is ring-fenced multi-annual funding.

The National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 is our third national cancer strategy and something we should be proud of as a country. Our first strategy was established in 1996 with an aim of improving death rates in patients under 65 years of age. The second in 2006 set up the national cancer control programme, which ensured the development of cancer services would be equal for all parts of the country. The National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026 has four pillars: to invest in cancer prevention; early detection; to provide the best treatment to those with cancer; and to look after cancer survivors. In this House, I had the “right to be forgotten” Bill, which was supported by our Government and is something that really helps cancer survivors, especially when they apply for life insurance or are looking to get out a mortgage.

Despite massive funding and significant process, this strategy requires more targeted funding to meet the goals, continually improve cancer services and provide for necessary care for patients. Waiting times for screening and scans is one of my little bugbears, in particular, that needs to be looked at. For someone who is receiving a cancer diagnosis or checking if their cancer is recurring, waiting for scans and not being sure if you will get a scan is possibly one of the most stress-inducing periods of a cancer journey. Ring-fenced funding to directly improve this area is essential to ensure early detection of cancer and that patients have the best possible treatment for their lifelong journey. As we stand here, one out of every two of us has the power and potential to dramatically change the outcome for cancer patients in this country, and that person is the Minister of State and his team.