Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour)
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486. To ask the Minister for Health if she plans to roll out a national awareness campaign for pancreatic cancer; if such a campaign would provide material for both medically trained and non-medically trained (patients, family, friends, carers) individuals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66766/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to improving cancer care, ensuring better prevention, maintaining improvements in cancer survival rates, and timely access to treatments.

The Government has allocated significant funding of €105 million, including €23 million in 2025, to the National Cancer Strategy since 2017 to support cancer services and improve outcomes for patients. This includes allocating funding to screening programmes, cancer treatment and survivorship services.

This funding has enabled the recruitment of over 670 staff to our national cancer services, including 200 nursing staff, 100 consultants, and 180 health and social care professionals in designated cancer centres. Funding in 2025 will support recruitment of 179 additional staff to national cancer screening and treatment services.

Capital funding of over €140 million has been used since 2017 to provide state of the art radiation oncology facilities to establish a National Cervical Screening Laboratory, and to update cancer infrastructure in chemotherapy wards and lab facilities. This year’s capital plan includes €12.13m for radiation oncology projects along with further funding for the design and construction of Oncology Day Units and chemotherapy infrastructure.

Pancreatic cancer is the 9th most diagnosed invasive cancer, accounting for 2.5% of invasive cancer diagnoses. Early pancreatic cancer rarely presents with specific or classic red-flag symptoms, such symptoms typically appear only in advanced stages of the disease. Around 600 new cases of pancreatic cancer are diagnosed in Ireland each year.

In line with Recommendation 21 from the National Cancer Strategy 2017-2026, surgery for pancreatic cancer has been centralised to two cancer centres: A national centre in St Vincent’s University Hospital and an associated centre in Cork University Hospital and significant work has been done to improve the awareness and treatment of pancreatic cancer in Ireland.

The NCCP have completed scoping the requirements to develop a pancreatic pathway from primary care through tertiary care.

The first version of the NCCP genomic test directory for cancer was published in July 2024 with the publication of the test directory for colorectal and ovarian cancer. It has now been expanded to include the Pancreatic cancer also.

The test directory comprises a list of clinical indications for genomic testing for cancer patients and is focused on clinically actionable findings.

A number of new testing pathways have been introduced in line with HSE reimbursement approval of new Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) indications. These include direct ordering of BRCA testing by medical oncologists to support prescribing of PARP (Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase) inhibitors in prostate cancer, breast cancer and pancreatic cancer which allows timely access to testing for patients to help inform treatment decisions.

Survival rates for patients have improved greatly and OECD data shows that cancer mortality rates in Ireland are falling faster than the EU27 average and faster than our economic peers.

Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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487. To ask the Minister for Health for an update in relation to the development of the new cardiovascular plan following the April 2025 publication of the National Review of Cardiac Services (NRCS); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66769/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasses a range of conditions including heart attack and stroke. It remains a leading cause of death in Ireland and significant hospital bed days. CVD claimed the lives of almost 10,000 people in Ireland in 2023 and is estimated to cost the Irish state €1.7 billion annually, with 46% of this being direct healthcare costs.

Ireland has made progress in tackling CVD. Today, CVD mortality is about half of the levels of 1995, however, CVD still accounts for 27.8% of all deaths in Ireland. However, the absolute number of CVD cases has increased due to the rise in population and Ireland’s ageing demographics. CVD imposes significant social and personal costs for patients including reduced quality of life, and potential lost earnings.

Irish officials working with EU colleagues contributed to a new Council Conclusion on the improvement of cardiovascular health adopted on 3rd December 2024, marking a strong political commitment towards improving cardiovascular health across Europe. We expect the EU Cardiovascular Plan will be published shortly. This is an initiative by the European Commission to tackle cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the leading cause of death in the EU. Its objectives include reducing premature deaths by improving prevention, early detection, and treatment, while also boosting innovation.

CVD and its management are prioritised through national policy, strategies, and clinical programmes, which include models of care for stroke, acute coronary syndromes, heart failure and chronic disease management. The Programme for Government (PfG) 2025 commits to “Building on the existing National Cardiovascular Policy, we will develop a new and more ambitious plan enhancing patient care and timely access across all regions.”

On April 8th, the National Review of Adult Specialist Cardiac Services was published. This comprehensive, evidence-based report provides 23 key recommendations to inform future cardiac health policy. It offers both a data-driven analysis and a clear roadmap for reforming cardiac services across the country. DoH officials are now working closely with the HSE to progress the implementation of these recommendations. This is a complex, multiyear reform programme that will ensure a comprehensive and deliverable approach in achieving outcomes.

Cardiovascular health has been prioritised in Budget 2025, which allocates over €9 million in full-year funding to support vital cardiovascular initiatives. Budget 2025 allocated €4 million full year costs, and 45 WTEs to progress cardiac services. To date, 28 of these 45 WTEs have been prioritised and 5.1 WTE posts have been accepted. This investment facilitates the initial steps in cardiac services reform and will support the development of a new cardiovascular strategy in the longer term. In the short term, we will deliver enhanced cardiac services and develop the necessary structures to ensure success in the longer term.

With regard to services for stoke, the National Stroke Strategy was published in 2022 and over €13m has been allocated to its implementation to date. The Stroke Strategy aims to modernise our Stroke services in line with Sláintecare and ensure the future readiness of services given our ageing demography and the predicted rise in stroke incidence in coming decades. Most recently in Budget 2025, of the €9m invested in Cardiovascular Health, full year costs of €5m were allocated which will provide 56 WTEs to strengthen Acute Stroke units and expand the Early Supported Discharge Team network from 11-15 teams nationally.