Dáil told cancer outcomes worsening because of Government underfunding

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said 65% of people diagnosed with cancer between 2014 and 2018 were still alive five years later, compared to 44% 20 years earlier. Photograph: PA Wire

And he pointed to the Oireachtas Health Committee hearing on Wednesday where the Irish Cancer Society told TDs and Senators that cancer services had been underfunded for five of the past seven years, and that health outcomes “may have stagnated or even disimproved”. He said the Government had made very significant investments in cancer services, with €7.7 billion extra provided to the HSE over the past four years. An additional €40 billion had been provided for new treatments and 148 new cancer drugs had been authorised.

Mr Martin added that when he was minister for health he had to “fight political battle after political battle across the country when centralisation as oncology services occurred”. But he said that probably was the “most impactful policy evolution” on cancer survival rates.

Pearse-Doherty Irish-Cancer-Society Hse

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