Michael Cahill
Ceist:1053. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Health when the recommendations of a report (details supplied) will be implemented; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34232/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 12 May 2026
Ceisteanna (1053)
Freagraí scríofa
The Government is committed to improving cancer care, ensuring better prevention, maintaining improvements in cancer survival rates, and timely access to treatments. Successive National Cancer Strategies have delivered continuing improvements in outcomes for Irish cancer patients. This is shown by the steady increase in 5-year survival rate from 44% for those diagnosed in 1998 to 65% in 2022.
Since its launch in 2017, the Government has allocated €105 million to the current National Cancer Strategy to support cancer services and improve outcomes for patients. This is in addition to over €140 million in Capital investment in cancer infrastructure. In the intervening years very significant progress has been made in improving cancer services and there are now over 220,000 people living with or beyond cancer, 50% more than there were a decade ago.
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 (NCCP) is continuing to progress the remaining nine. These will continue to drive further reforms and service improvements in this final year of the Strategy. Prior to developing the next National Cancer Strategy, an evaluation will first be carried out in collaboration with key stakeholders such as the NCCP and the National Cancer Registry of Ireland.
Ireland also remains committed to engaging with European partners on the EU Beating Cancer Plan and international analysis such as that provided in the report linked will be important in designing and implementing an effective future strategy.