Daffodil Day is an opportune time put a spotlight on Ireland’s cancer care services, according to Social Democrats health spokesperson Pádraig Rice.
Deputy Rice made his comments as the Irish Cancer Society’s biggest annual fundraiser got under way across the country today.
He said:
“Huge progress has been made in cancer treatment in recent decades, but there are still significant gaps in services and supports.
“Since my election to the Dáil, I have worked closely with the Irish Cancer Society and frontline workers to highlight these gaps.
“When the current Cancer Strategy was launched in 2017, the then Minister for Health Simon Harris promised substantial current and capital funding over the 10 years of the strategy. However, funding for the strategy has been sporadic and it has received no funding in multiple budgets.
“This starving of funding has only worsened the postcode lottery for vital cancer care. This strategy needs multi-annual funding instead of stop-start support.
“One of the biggest issues in cancer care is the hollowing out of public radiotherapy services. Since 2020, over €113 million has been spent outsourcing radiotherapy for public patients to private providers. This creeping privatisation of services is being fuelled by staff shortages and outdated machinery.
“Radiation therapy machines have a 10-year lifespan, yet 50 per cent of public machines are over 15-years old – four of which are over 18-years old. Older machines are slower, treat less patients and frequently break down. Even though the need to replace them is entirely predictable, there is no rolling National Radiotherapy Equipment Replacement Programme in place.
“This must change – ad hoc replacement of machinery is failing patients and negatively impacting staff morale and staff retention.
“On top of that, the pay and numbers strategy continues to be a major issue, with machines lying idle and services running at reduced capacity due to staff shortages.
“The current Cancer Strategy is also clear about the need to address the critical shortage of radiographers.
“Recently, I met with the Radiography Practice Tutor Committee about the escalating recruitment and retention crisis in their field. Radiographer tutors play a vital role in the clinical education and training of student radiographers within our hospitals, but this is not recognised in their pay and conditions. If we want to recruit and retain more practice tutors, they must be remunerated and graded appropriately.
“It is welcome that the government is increasing the number of student radiography places, in line with the Cancer Strategy, but this must be matched by increased resources for clinical placements.
“Already this week, we’ve heard reports of radiography students, who should be working ‘clinical hours’, studying in the library instead because of a lack of practice tutors to support their placements. This cannot go on any longer – there must be joined-up thinking.
“This escalating crisis requires an urgent intervention from the Minister for Health to increase the number of clinical tutors, retain existing staff and provide patients with timely diagnostics.”
March 20, 2026