I thank my colleague Deputy David Cullinane and for bringing forward this motion this evening which gives us the chance to have this very important discussion. I also thank him for the proposals he has consistently brought forward which would make a real and meaningful difference not just for patients but also for people working in our health services. As was rightly pointed out, the issues that are faced in the cancer control and the cancer care programme are not caused by the men and women working hard in it. They are not the ones who should be held accountable. The delays are due to underfunding. The chaos often at the heart of this Government has caused what many used to consider a world-class, gold-standard service to actually go backwards, and the figures as described by an Teachta Cullinane bear that out. We know the number of people on lists is increasing and the delays are increasing, and all the while it is very expensive to be sick in this State. Time off work, car parking charges - all these things add up. It is really expensive, and the delays make it more expensive. They mean more expense for people, more time off work and more time on reduced hours. They wait and they wait and they panic. When they know they need treatment, when they often know what that treatment is and they cannot access it, that is deeply concerning. I encourage the Minister of State to examine making the PSA test part of the national screening programme. It is a very simple test and it saves lives. I have close-hand and personal experience of the fact that it saves lives. It should be included as part of any screening programme.

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