Written answers

Wednesday, 22 January 2025

Photo of Jim O'CallaghanJim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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1373. To ask the Minister for Health what can be done to increase Ireland’s participation rate in cancer related clinical trials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46559/24]

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Clinical trials are a fundamental component of high-quality care and improving patient outcomes. Over the last 15 years, my Department has invested more than €150 million in clinical trials and research support services in all healthcare areas including oncology through the Health Research Board (HRB). My Department established a National Clinical Trials Oversight Group in July of last year. This group is tasked with developing recommendations on increasing the number of trials taking place in Ireland and improving access for patients to participate in more clinical trials across a range of priority healthcare areas, including oncology clinical trials.

In recent years, my Department has made significant progress in improving clinical trial infrastructure. In an effort to improve transparency, streamline approval mechanisms, and provide a robust framework for ethical approval process for clinical trials, my Department established the National Office for National Research Ethics Committees (NREC). This office, which plays a critical role in providing expertise and guidance on research ethics, hosts three NRECs in key clinical trial areas of medical products, medical devices, and in vitro diagnostics. The Department has also invested in the expansion of an HSE research infrastructure across the Health Regions to promote an equitable national research service within the public health sector.

The HRB, as the leading funder of health research in Ireland, has been driving the growth of clinical trials in Ireland and putting in place the supporting research infrastructure with the overall aim of facilitating clinical trials that can benefit patients, the healthcare system, and the economy. In 2021, the HRB Board approved a multi-year €21.6m investment in cancer trials in Ireland, comprising support for a National Cancer Clinical Trials Network and funding for six cancer trials groups. Additionally, the HRB manages the only dedicated funding stream (i.e., Definitive Interventions and Feasibility Awards, DIFA) for clinical trials and interventions in Ireland, which supports studies evaluating a full scale, definitive trial of an intervention to provide high quality evidence on the efficacy, effectiveness, cost, and broad impact of the intervention. To date the HRB has made a total investment of €32m across 45 studies. In 2022, the HRB opened a specific cancer stream with €3m available for cancer clinical trials and interventions in the DIFA scheme.

Under the Ireland-Northern Ireland-US Cancer Consortium, €1.2m was allocated in funding for North-South cancer research in 2024, which includes access to clinical trials on an all-island basis as a priority objective.

In line with the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026, a National Cancer Research Group has been established. The Group aims to improve co-ordination and oversight of cancer research nationally and provide a forum for the agreement of research priorities. The Group also seeks to achieve continuity of funding and to ensure that funding allocations are linked to the agreed research priorities.

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