Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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500. To ask the Minister for Health when the evaluation process for the current National Cancer Strategy will commence; the person in her Department is responsible for this review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66865/25]

Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)
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501. To ask the Minister for Health when the consultation process for the next National Cancer Strategy will begin; the stakeholders that will be involved in the development of the next strategy; the person in her Department who is responsible for this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [66866/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 500 and 501 together.

International evidence shows that successive cancer strategies lead to better outcomes for patients. Since its launch in 2017, the Government has allocated €105 million to the national cancer strategy to support cancer services and improve outcomes for patients. Since then, very significant progress has been made in improving cancer services and there are now over 220,000 living with or beyond cancer, 50% more than a decade ago.

The current National Cancer Strategy runs from 2017 to 2026. The HSE's National Cancer Control Programme will continue progressing the current strategy’s recommendations throughout its final year. Planning has begun for an evaluation of the current strategy and, as previously, the evaluation team will be external to the Department of Health. The evaluation will inform the development of the new strategy next year.