The Irish Cancer Society’s pre-budget submission makes for alarming reading. It reveals unacceptable delays in access to essential cancer diagnostics and treatments – surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and urgent tests for breast and prostate cancer– in several parts of the country. These regional variations aren’t just unfair; they are life-threatening.
Outcomes from cancer are strongly tied to the speed of diagnosis and treatment. Patients treated at Stage 1 are up to four times more likely to survive than those treated at Stage 4. Yet despite targets set by the National Cancer Strategy, many public cancer centres outside of Dublin are consistently failing to deliver timely care due to shortages in staff, space, and essential equipment.
The result is a cancer postcode lottery where the speed of diagnosis and treatment hinges on where patients live. In Galway patients are reportedly waiting up to eight weeks for chemotherapy– far exceeding the recommended 15-day window. International research shows that every four-week delay in treatment increases mortality risk by 10 per cent.
Key diagnostic tools like PET scanners are still unavailable in public cancer centres in Galway, Waterford, and Limerick. And essential radiotherapy machines are remaining in use years beyond their recommended lifespan. Staffing shortages are also critical. GPs, radiologists, oncology nurses and radiation therapists are in short supply, resulting in cancelled appointments and essential equipment remaining idle. The system is overstretched and many patients are being let down.
RM Block
The highlighted failings in our cancer services are indefensible in a first-world country with a record €26 billion overall healthcare budget. The Irish Cancer Society, backed by professional oncology groups, is calling for significantly increased cancer service investment in Budget 2026 –particularly in staffing, infrastructure, and equipment– to ensure national waiting time targets are met. Also vital is ensuring that cash that is spent actually translates to improved services.
