Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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405. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to reopen cancer screening services; his plans to address the backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26296/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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All three national cancer screening programmes (BreastCheck, CervicalCheck and BowelScreen) are currently operating, albeit at reduced capacity due to the current COVID-19 situation and the impact caused by the recent cyber-attack.

It is important to emphasise that screening is for healthy people who do not have symptoms. People who are between screening appointments, or are waiting for rescheduled appointments, are advised to be aware of symptoms, or if they have concerns or worries to contact their GP, who will arrange appropriate follow-up care.

As this Parliamentary Question relates to an operational issue, it is a matter for the HSE. However, members of the Oireachtas are advised that the HSE is currently unable to access the information to answer Parliamentary Questions due to the recent cyber-attack, which has required a temporary shut-down of HSE IT systems. The disruption to service is on-going, and the HSE is working hard to restore its IT capacity and resume normal services. Members of the Oireachtas will be advised as soon as the HSE is again in a position to provide responses to PQs and are encouraged to resubmit their Parliamentary Questions at that point.