Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 July 2026
311. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the current capacity within the public health system to deliver radioligand therapies, including the availability of nuclear medicine facilities, trained personnel, and radiopharmacy supports; and the plans in place to expand this capacity. [50113/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra312. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health whether her Department has undertaken or commissioned any strategic review of Ireland's nuclear medicine and radiopharmacy infrastructure; and the actions planned to develop a sustainable, indigenous capability in this area. [50114/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra313. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health if consideration is being given to developing a national strategy for radiopharmaceutical production and usage, in light of increasing global demand and supply constraints; and if she will outline any engagement with industry, academia, or international partners on this issue. [50115/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra314. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health the level of capital and operational investment allocated to nuclear medicine and advanced cancer therapies over the past five years; and the projected investment over the next five years to support emerging treatments such as radioligand therapies. [50116/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra318. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Health if she will support a dedicated session of the relevant Oireachtas Committee to examine the case for investment in nuclear medicine and radiopharmacy infrastructure, including emerging cancer therapies; and if officials from her Department would be available to attend. [50120/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 311, 312, 313, 314 and 318 together.
The Government is committed to providing timely access to new and innovative medicines to all patients, including those with cancer, alongside the planned development of the infrastructure required to safely deliver these therapies.
Budgets 2021–2026 provided almost €190 million in dedicated funding for new medicines supporting access to a wide range of treatments, including cancer therapies. Radioligand therapies are regulated at EU level and are considered for reimbursement by the HSE. Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on the pricing and reimbursement of medicines, having regard to clinical and cost-effectiveness and competing demands across the health service.
The HSE has advised that there are challenges associated with the delivery of radioligand therapy in Ireland in terms of infrastructure and resources, and that investment will be required to provide capacity. Radioligand therapy often has a dependency on PET/CT imaging, and related work is progressing through the development of a National Strategy for Radiology Services.
There is no standalone national strategy for radiopharmaceutical production at this time. Work in this area is being progressed through national service planning arrangements.
The National Cancer Control Programme has engaged with cancer centres and nuclear medicine specialists and has established a Radioligand Therapy Advisory Group to support consideration of service requirements. This Group has recommended the commissioning of a report to inform a national plan for these services, including consideration of infrastructure such as radiopharmacy capacity and cyclotron facilities.
More generally, the Strategic Medicines Access and Availability Group, established by the Department of Health in November 2025, is considering measures to support the availability of medicines in Ireland. This includes work to address medicines shortages and gaps in availability and to reduce reliance on exempt medicinal products, with input from relevant stakeholders including the HSE, HPRA and NCPE.
Future investment will be considered in the context of these processes and in line with broader Government priorities, including the National Development Plan.
The Minister engages with the Oireachtas on matters relating to health policy. The scheduling of Committee sessions is a matter for the relevant Committee.
