Written answers
Thursday, 19 October 2023
Department of Health
Departmental Data
Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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323. To ask the Minister for Health how many people have died in Ireland from an illness (details supplied) per year from 2014 to 2021 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45873/23]
Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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HIV information, prevention and treatment is a policy priority under the National Sexual Health Strategy (NSHS). Free home STI testing is available in every county across Ireland. Anyone who is aged 17 or over can order a free STI test to their home or to any other valid postal address in Ireland. Further information on this service can be found at www.sexualwellbeing.ie.
In addition to the new national home STI testing service, other ongoing initiatives include:
- Expanding the National Condom Distribution Service
- Expanding the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) programme, available through the network of 23 free STI clinics and a small number of GPs to those at substantial risk of contracting HIV through sexual contact. PrEP has received an additional allocation of €600,000 in Budget 2024.
- Ireland joined the HIV Fast Track Cities initiative in 2019 (Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway). HIV Fast-Track Cities aims to increase access to HIV testing and treatment and to reduce stigma, aiming to end the HIV epidemic by 2030
- Developing a new Model of Care for sexual health services.
- Refreshing the new National Sexual Health Strategy This process is underway and includes identifying where new resources may be needed to expand capacity
As this is a service matter I have asked that the HSE also respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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324. To ask the Minister for Health how many people have died in Ireland from breast cancer per year from 2014 to 2021, inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45874/23]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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According to the National Cancer Registry’s (NCRI) Cancer Trends No. 38 report published in 2022, in the period 2017-2019, invasive breast cancer accounted for 31% of invasive cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) in women. The total number of diagnosed cases of breast cancer per year has increased steadily since 1994.
The NCRI's Annual Statistical Report 2022 shows that, overall, 5-year net survival for breast cancer has increased from 72% in cases diagnosed in the period 1994-1998 to 88% in those diagnosed in the period 2014-2018. Increases in survival were seen across all age groups, with the greatest improvement in women in the screening age group (50-69 years) whose survival increased from 74% to 94% between 1994-1998 and 2014-2018.
Increased funding for cancer services in 2021 and 2022 has had a positive impact on waiting times in symptomatic breast disease clinics. For urgent attendances to symptomatic breast disease clinics, waiting times at the end of 2022 were down 70% compared to the previous 11 months, while waiting times were down approximately 25% compared to the previous 11 months for non-urgent attendances.
A Model of Care for Hereditary Cancer was launched in June of this year. This Model of Care will inform the development of services for the identification and management of people with an inherited cancer predisposition. New development funding in 2021 and 2022 has facilitated work in this area, including:
- Development of GP referral guidelines for breast family history.
- Completion of a needs assessment for those with a BRCA gene alteration.
- Development of online training for healthcare professionals delivering mainstreamed BRCA testing, i.e. genetic testing embedded in oncology services.
| Year | Number of deaths due to breast cancer (C50) |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 740 |
| 2015 | 680 |
| 2016 | 763 |
| 2017 | 729 |
| 2018 | 788 |
| 2019 | 697 |
| 2020 | 777 |
Source (data.cso.ie/table/VSD14and data.cso.ie/table/VSA29).
Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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325. To ask the Minister for Health how many people have died in Ireland from a condition (details supplied) per year from 2014 to 2021 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45875/23]
Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Referring to HSE as this is an operational matter.
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