John Lahart
Question:214. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if he will consider the expansion of Ireland's national screening services for cancer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11715/23]
View answerWednesday, 8 March 2023
Questions (214, 215)
John Lahart
Question:215. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Health if he will consider the introduction of a lung cancer-screening programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11716/23]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 214 and 215 together.
I am fully committed to supporting our population screening programmes which are a valuable part of our health service, enabling early treatment and care for many people, and improving the overall health of our population.
Ireland currently operates three population-based cancer screening programmes (BowelScreen, BreastCheck, CervicalCheck), with a September 2022 trend report from the National Cancer Registry stating that our cancer programmes are effective, detecting cancers earlier and saving lives.
Under commitments in the Programme for Government, BreastCheck eligibility has been expanded to women aged 69 years since 2021. The Programme for Government also commits to expanding the age range for BowelScreen to those aged 55 to 74, and the HSE plans to commence this in 2023 with expansion to those aged 59, in addition to the current age range of 60 to 69.
Any decisions about further changes or expansion of cancer screening will be made on the advice of the National Screening Advisory Committee (NSAC). This independent expert group considers and assesses evidence in a robust and transparent manner, and against internationally accepted criteria. It is important we have rigorous processes in place to ensure our screening programmes are effective, quality assured and operating to safe standards, and that the benefits of screening outweigh the harms.
The Committee's first Annual Call (2021) for proposals for new screening programmes or changes to our existing programmes, received a significant response with over 50 submissions. Among these submissions were proposals related to cancer screening, including for the introduction of lung cancer screening. Submissions were received from various sources, including members of the public and patient advocates, and underwent consideration by the committee at its scheduled meetings during 2022. The Committee recently published its Work Programme on its website.
The Committee has already progressed some work on the expansion of cancer screening and has asked HIQA to look at the evidence for the further expansion of the age range eligibility for both the BowelScreen and BreastCheck programmes.
Under Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan, a Proposal for an updated European Council Recommendation on cancer screening was formally approved on 9 December 2022 and published thereafter. The updated Recommendation recommends extended screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer and the gradual introduction of screening for lung, prostate and gastric cancer. The NSAC will consider this Recommendation and advise me and the Department of Health on the evidence as it applies to Ireland.
Ireland will also be actively engaged with the significant ongoing collaborative work at European level to take forward the updated Recommendation on cancer screening.
Question No. 215 answered with Question No. 214.