Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 April 2026
457. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Health to address concerns outlined by a former chair of the National Cancer Strategy with respect to an expected surge in cancer cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31716/26]
View answerI am committed to improving cancer care, ensuring better prevention, maintaining improvements in cancer survival rates, and timely access to treatments. Cancer incidence is projected to increase significantly in the coming years due to an ageing and growing population. Improvements in cancer survival rates mean more people are living longer with cancer, resulting in increased demand for services.
This Government has invested more than €105m in cancer services under the National Cancer Strategy, including €23 million in 2025. Over 670 staff have been recruited to cancer services under the current strategy. State of the art radiation oncology centres opened in Cork and Galway in 2019 and 2023 respectively, representing €120 million capital investment.
Investment under the strategy has ensured that more patients are being seen in specialist centres, being reviewed by multidisciplinary teams and receiving better supports during their cancer treatment. The current Strategy, which was published in June 2017, contains 52 recommendations. To date, 43 of these have been implemented and the HSE National Cancer Control Programme is continuing to progress implementation of the remaining nine. These will drive further reforms and service improvements.
The Health Research Board (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 in Ireland that can benefit patients, the healthcare system, and the economy. Facilities are located at hospital sites to enable the conduct of trials and intervention studies, to provide specialist support services and to link with national clinical trials network. In 2021, the HRB made new five-year grants for cancer clinical trials infrastructure across the country totalling €21.6M, taking into account regional, national and international developments in healthcare and in cancer research and innovation. This investment sought to build on previous investments of over €70 million to build and enhance the capacity of hospitals with significant cancer services to conduct high-quality clinical trials of cancer therapies in an all-island context, aligned with goals and targets set out in the National Cancer Strategy and broader Government research and innovation goals. The investment of €21.6M between 2022-2026 supported six Cancer Clinical Trials Groups (including one on behalf of a (distributed) Radiation Oncology Group) (€14.3M), working collectively and synergistically through a National Cancer Clinical Trials Network (€7.3M).
In November 2025, I published the Department of Health Sectoral Plan for 2026-2030 under the National Development Plan (NDP). The Sectoral Plan sets out infrastructure investment priorities for the next five years, building on a strong track record of delivery to support the provision of equitable, accessible and high-quality healthcare across Ireland.
This includes planned investment in cancer care infrastructure and in 2026, we will:
• Support the commitment in the Programme for Government, as set out in the National Development Plan 2021–2030, for the development of cancer centres, including Galway, to enhance services in the West and Northwest region.
• Submit planning permission for the Oncology Day Unit at Cavan General Hospital, and progress the design of units at Tallaght University Hospital, Kerry University Hospital, and the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore.
• Continue to support the development of Aseptic Compounding Units at Cork University Hospital and Cavan General Hospital.
• Progress the design of a new Aseptic Compounding Unit at Mayo University Hospital and proceed to tender for a unit at Letterkenny University Hospital.
• Advance the Shared Island co-funded Daisy Lodge paediatric cancer care respite project in Mayo, which is due to commence on site in 2026.
• Progress national cancer infrastructure planning for oncology day wards, inpatient oncology, cancer diagnostics, and outreach and community cancer service delivery, consistent with Sláintecare and the National Cancer Strategy.
The current National Cancer Strategy runs from 2017 to 2026. The HSE's National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) 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 outcome of the evaluation will inform the development of the next strategy.
