Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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51. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the recent UN report which forecasts a major increase in the incidence of cancer over the next 20 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6926/14]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The third World Cancer Report was published recently by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This report outlines the scale of the growing cancer burden worldwide and urges governments to implement measures for the prevention and early detection of cancer. Meanwhile, the latest projections from the National Cancer Registry indicate that the incidence of cancer in Ireland is expected to double by 2040. They attribute this in the main to demographic changes such as population size and an aging population.

However, although demographic change will be the main factor driving an increase in cancer numbers in Ireland and worldwide, the National Cancer Registry indicates that trends in risk factor prevalence, such as tobacco use, the consumption of alcohol, diet, overweight/obesity and lack of physical exercise will also have an impact. Also, the welcome expansion of population-based screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers is likely to increase the cancer detection rate in the short-term. Ireland has focused on improving the quality of cancer services through reorganisation and expansion and has achieved significant improvement in the rates of cancer survival in recent years. Five-year survival rates for all cancers has increased to 56.4% for people diagnosed between 2003-2007, compared to 49.6% for people diagnosed between 1998-2002.

In regard to prevention, the recently published policy document Towards a Tobacco Free Ireland aims to achieve a decrease in smoking prevalence and to denormalise tobacco in society. Legislation in relation to alcohol is being drawn up and Healthy Ireland - a Framework for Improved Health and Wellbeing 2013-2025 sets out the whole of Government approach to making Ireland a healthier nation.