Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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564. To ask the Minister for Health if he will introduce a screening programme for pancreatic cancer for the over 40s as a preventative public health measure. [23736/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Population-based screening programmes are an important element of early detection for cancer and have been introduced for cancers in Ireland where international evidence supports this approach. At present, available evidence has given rise to population-based screening programmes being recommended for bowel, breast and cervical cancer and such programmes have all been introduced here.

However, there is currently insufficient evidence to recommend the introduction of a population-based pancreatic cancer screening programme. My Department and the HSE will continue to monitor international research in this regard.