Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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306. To ask the Minister for Health if his Department has reviewed the investment in facilities needed to drive forward the national cancer strategy; if he is aware of the considerable pressure for more capacity in a cancer centre (details supplied), given its existing patient treatment rates and growing population catchment; and how such needs are assessed in drawing up the health capital plan. [30275/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Successive National Cancer Strategies have delivered continuing improvements in outcomes for Irish cancer patients in terms of earlier diagnosis, better treatment, and improved rates of survival.

As Minister for Health, I have supported the National Cancer Strategy with substantial funding of €50m for cancer treatment and screening services. Since 2017, there has been additional (new development) investment of €456m in cancer services, including €81m on cancer prevention, screening, and treatment; €316m on cancer medicines; and €59m on cancer research grants through the Health Research Board. Capital funding of over €140m has been used to provide state of the art radiation oncology facilities in Galway and Cork under the National Plan for Radiation Oncology, to update cancer infrastructure in chemotherapy wards and lab facilities for the benefit of patients, and for the new National Cervical Screening Laboratory.

New development funding has enabled the recruitment of more than 670 staff to our national cancer services since 2017, including an additional 200 nursing staff, 100 consultants, and 180 health and social care professionals in designated cancer centres. This means that our national cancer services have been strengthened, that more patients are receiving treatment, and that waiting times to access treatment are reduced.

The National Plan for Radiation Oncology is a strategic programme setting out the projected infrastructure and equipment required to meet the needs for radiation oncology. Under Phase 2 of this Plan, there is the planned provision of additional radiation oncology facilities at Beaumont Hospital and an equipment replacement programme. This is currently at Detailed Design stage on the HSE Capital Plan.

Additionally, the Department of Health has received a Strategic Assessment Report (SAR) for the development of an Acute Ward Block development, which intends to provide additional bed capacity and improved hospital services.

Any such planning and delivery of services is done with future demand as well as current needs in mind. This and any similar developments must be considered in the context of and be compliant with the Infrastructure Guidelines introduced in 2024, which supersede the Public Spending Code (PSC). The final decision to proceed with the construction of a given project cannot be made until the tender process has been completed and the costings reviewed to ensure that the proposal remains affordable and delivers value for money.

The delivery of cancer services across a limited number of designated cancer centres is in line with international best-practice, allowing the full integration of high-quality cancer care, combined with research and education. This ensures adequate case volumes, multidisciplinary working, and infrastructural requirements, which are important determinants for patient outcomes. The Strategy notes that cancer patients should have access to high quality care staffed by appropriate specialists as close to home as possible, with specialist services centralised into the designated cancer centres as required to optimise outcomes for patients.

In the context of the National Cancer Strategy the capacity in each of the eight designated cancer centres is kept under regular review, and my Department works closely with the National Cancer Control Programme in ensuring that services and treatments are delivered for cancer patients in the appropriate setting, taking into account the resources, facilities and expertise needed at each centre.