Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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1133. To ask the Minister for Health when scalp cooling will resume for patients undergoing chemotherapy at University Hospital Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44442/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The provision of systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT) for patients with cancer can include many other additional elements to support the patient in the management of adverse effects associated with their treatment. Scalp cooling is an example of one such supportive care measures.

There are 26 public hospitals providing SACT in Ireland. A patient’s consultant will consider each patient’s supportive care requirements, taking into account the individual patient, their treatment, and the evidence relating to the supportive care measure.

There is no clinical consensus on the use of scalp cooling as a supportive care measure for patients with cancer undergoing SACT. It is made available in some of the public hospitals providing SACT, based on suitability of the patient, local availability of equipment, service needs, and capacity.

The 'Women’s Health Action Plan 2024-2025 (Phase 2: An Evolution in Women’s Health)' was published in April 2024. As part of Budget 2025, €12.9 million has been specifically allocated to enable the continued implementation of this plan. Increasing the provision of scalp cooling for cancer patients is one of the actions supported by this funding.