Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, for coming to the House to take this Commencement matter on the urgent need for the development of a comprehensive national genomic and genetic testing service which is publicly governed, clinically robust and capable of delivering timely and advanced diagnostics in areas such as oncology, rare diseases and inherited conditions.

We are at a critical juncture in Irish healthcare. The advances in personalised medicine, early detection and preventative care increasingly rely on genomic data, but Ireland, despite its world-class clinicians and ambitions in the life sciences sector, remains alarmingly behind when it comes to the local laboratory infrastructure. There is a deficit of suitably qualified people and facilities which are necessary to provide clinical genetic testing within our own public health system. At present, the majority of clinical genetic tests, including those for cancer and rare conditions, are sent abroad to laboratories in the UK, the US and across Europe. Concerns have been expressed that this is not just inefficient but risky. There are significant implications for patient safety, sample integrity, data privacy and health equity. Moreover, many public hospitals lack the accreditation and technological infrastructure to offer comprehensive genetic testing at scale. This results in long delays and inconsistent access, neither of which serve the interests of patients or clinicians.

While the establishment of the national genetics and genomics office was a welcome step, it must now be matched with real investment and action. We need a physical, nationally co-ordinated service that is resourced to deliver testing within Ireland to the highest clinical and ethical standards. One critical milestone in this regard was the anticipated appointment of an interim host for the national genomic processing service, which was due to take place by March of this year. That milestone has now been missed. When will this happen? Without clarity on timelines, we risk further delays to what is already an overdue reform. It is important to ensure that the design and roll-out of any national genomics service align with the principles of open competition and accessibility, allowing both public and commercial laboratories that meet appropriate clinical standards to participate. This approach not only supports value for money but also ensures equal access by all suitably accredited providers, helping to build a resilient and scalable testing infrastructure.

Patients and clinicians are waiting in the public system. Genetics counsellors are overstretched. Meanwhile, demand for genetic testing continues to rise, driven by developments in cancer care, prenatal screening and the growing understanding of rare conditions. This demand will only increase as we are in transition towards a model of care centred on early intervention and prevention. We have a moment here to act decisively to put in place a system that ensures equality of access to high-quality genomic testing for patients across the country. This requires full deployment of the service offering in accredited laboratories, public or commercial.

Will the Minister of State please update the House on the status of the national genomic processing service, tell us when a host for the national genomic processing service will be appointed and set out the Government's intentions for ensuring the deployment of appropriate accredited commercial laboratory services in Ireland in order to build this critical healthcare infrastructure capacity without further delay? This is not just a question of efficiency or modernisation; it is a test of our commitment to providing world-class detection, treatment and care for every patient in a timely and effective manner.