Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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187. To ask the Minister for Health when she expects the current lung cancer screening pilot to be evaluated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24136/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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As Minister for Health, I am dedicated to supporting our population screening programmes, which are a valuable part of our health service, enabling early treatment and care for many people, and improving the overall health of our population.

I am intent on advancing cancer screening commitments outlined in the Programme for Government, which contains a commitment to evaluate the current lung cancer screening pilot in line with WHO criteria and develop recommendations for a way forward.

I would note that changes to Ireland’s screening programmes will be facilitated through established evidence-driven protocols. The National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC) is the independent expert group that considers proposed changes to Ireland’s screening programmes. NSAC assesses the evidence in a robust and transparent manner and against internationally accepted criteria, before making recommendations to myself as Minister. The rigorous processes utilised by NSAC are critical to ensure that our screening programmes are effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards, and that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.

Careful consideration must be given to any proposed expansion of Ireland’s screening programmes and this process must be afforded the necessary amount of time to complete. In this regard, I am pleased to report that NSAC is actively progressing with work on the further expansion of our current cancer screening programmes and has submitted requests to the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to examine the evidence for such. HIQA is currently focused on a Health Technology Assessment (HTA) process to examine the expansion of the BowelScreen programme and is expected to commence an additional HTA on proposed changes to the BreastCheck programme, later this year.

HTAs facilitate the assessment of relevant evidence and knowledge on the effects and consequences of healthcare technologies to guide decisions regarding the appropriate use of technology and efficient allocation of resources. They involve a multidisciplinary assessment of the clinical, economic, ethical, legal and societal perspectives that may be impacted by the introduction of a new technology. HTAs are time intensive and rigorous processes.

In terms of lung cancer screening, under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, an updated European Council Recommendation on cancer screening was published in December 2022. The Recommendation calls for the further expansion of cervical, breast and colorectal (bowel) cancer screening as well as feasibility studies on future screening programmes for gastric, prostate and lung cancer.

My Department is coordinating Irish inputs into a four-year EU4Health-funded Joint Action project, titled EUCanScreen (2024-2028). The project is aimed at coordinating research activities associated with the updated European Council Recommendation across Europe. This includes research relating to the sustainability of cancer screening programmes, data monitoring and the barriers/facilitators to screening. Specifically in terms of lung cancer screening, my Department and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) are involved in work related to examining the integration of smoking cessation with low-dose CT screening among heavy smokers.

Additionally, my Department is aware of the involvement of Irish-based researchers in a clinical trial under the EU4Health-funded SOLACE project. The ‘Lung Health Check’ pilot is a prospective study involving Beaumont Hospital and the RCSI. The pilot was launched in March this year and will run over a two-year period until the end of March 2027. It is primarily funded by the Irish Cancer Society and supported by SOLACE consortium, with funding also provided by the my Department’s Women’s Health Fund.

The Lung Health Check pilot aims to assess the feasibility of instituting a community-based lung health check programme in Ireland by inviting individuals in the North Dublin and the North-East region who are identified as being of higher risk of lung problems to attend their mobile screening unit for breathing tests and a low-dose chest CT scan.

The findings gained through the EUCanScreen and SOLACE projects, will form part of the evidence base to be considered as part of NSAC’s comprehensive procedures before a recommendation is made to myself on a potential future lung cancer screening programme in Ireland.

I would emphasise that any future decisions by myself as Minister on the future of Ireland’s cancer screening programmes will be based on the advice of NSAC. The findings of the EUCanScreen and SOLACE projects may form important parts of the evidence base for potential future considerations by NSAC.

Finally, I would highlight that population-based screening programmes are for people without symptoms. If anyone becomes aware of symptoms, or if they have concerns or worries, they should contact a medical professional.