People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Richard Boyd Barrett says his treatment for throat cancer has been “successful” and the disease had been “eliminated”.
Mr Boyd Barrett said on Friday he had undergone a scan in the past week that confirmed his treatment for throat cancer had been a success.
“I got a scan in the last week or so which says the treatment has been successful and has eliminated the cancer,” he told RTÉ Radio 1’s Claire Byrne show.
“I will have to be monitored closely, check-ups every three months for the next five years, but they are saying it’s worked. It’s as good a result for the treatment I got as you can get.”
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The Dún Laoghaire TD described the cancer treatment as “harsh” and said there were “some absolutely terrible days” when he couldn’t even drink water because of nausea.
“They burn the cancer out of your throat, and that means there’s quite a lot of damage done to your throat.” This causes a dry mouth and sometimes “chokey” feeling which makes speaking and eating difficult, he said.
He didn’t eat solid food for three to four months and relied on nutri-drinks and shakes for energy. “You wonder at that time, will you ever eat normal food again? Your appetite is gone, you can’t hold anything down.”
The People Before Profit-Solidarity TD said he planned to start easing himself back into work but would take things slowly.
“I hope people will understand that I may not be going at 100 per cent capacity for a while until I try things out, because the side effects are substantial. They don’t know how long they last, some of them can even be lifelong.”
Mr Boyd Barrett paid tribute to the staff from St Luke’s oncology unit in Dublin who have “given my life back to me, basically”.
He thanked his party colleagues, including former People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Bríd Smith, who continued to offer a constituency service in Dún Laoghaire during his absence.
He also endorsed the idea of introducing a system in Leinster House whereby another individual can step fully into the role of a TD if they become seriously ill.
He referenced the “thousands of messages, letters, every type of communication” he received from people around the country - “from all political persuasions and every background you can imagine” - after he announced his cancer diagnosis.
Mr Boyd Barrett stepped back from work in April to undergo treatment after revealing he had been diagnosed with throat cancer.
Mr Boyd Barrett said he noticed a lump on his neck during last year’s general election campaign and had it investigated before Christmas.
He was operated on to have his tonsils removed and a biopsy was performed on tissue, which revealed the cancer diagnosis. He was told that the cancer has spread to his lymph nodes, but no further and that he expected to take three to four months off work.
Mr Boyd Barrett has been a TD for Dún Laoghaire since 2011, and is the parliamentary leader of the People Before Profit-Solidarity group.
One of the Dáil’s most outspoken TDs, he is a familiar critic of the Government on the airwaves on a range of issues.
Mr Boyd Barrett said he had kept a “very close eye” on the presidential election campaign which saw political parties on the Left come together in their endorsement of Catherine Connolly. He said he had first suggested this type of “united front” of the Left during the 2020 general election campaign.
“We’ve see from the Catherine Connolly campaign that we can unite and I hope that lesson can be taken forward.”
Asked if his cancer diagnosis and treatment had changed him in any way, Mr Boyd Barrett said it made him “appreciate life, being alive”.
He added: “My political principles haven’t changed a bit but I think you learn. It’s reinforced the idea that the vast majority of people are decent people and they want a better world, a fairer world and they want to be good to each other.
“It’s what left wing politics should be about – solidarity, our common humanity, that we work better together. It’s reinforced a lot of my sense about the potential and possibility to change the world for the better. And I’m glad I’ll be around to play some part in that, thanks to the health workers.”
