I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber. I welcome the students from St. Paul's College. I am sure the Cathaoirleach will make an announcement before they leave.

I raise an issue that is very important in the area I am from, Castlerea in west Roscommon, which is to prioritise the upgrading of the N60 national road through Castlerea. With the imminent completion of the N5 project - the extension from Scramoge to Tibohine, representing an investment by the Government of over €450 million - everyone will be heading to Roscommon at some stage in the coming months to cut a ribbon. I hope people do not have any trouble getting there, though, because the N60 goes through Castlerea and there is going to be an increased amount of traffic coming off the N5 into Castlerea for people who wish to access towns such as Williamstown, Dunmore and Ballyhaunis. Castlerea is already a town that suffers significantly at certain times in the day at the intersection, which we know as "Hell's Kitchen corner" but is officially the R361 road where the N60 junction is.

In the past two years, there was a plan by Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, to introduce safety measures and a scheme that would allow the traffic to flow easier at that junction. An investment of just under €1 million was made available. TII produced a plan, but it was a take it or leave it plan. It did not consult with the people and businesses of the town and the people who were using it. There are many examples of monitoring traffic trends and coming up with a solution without understanding the traffic trends. That is what I would like to engage with, and I encourage that there be engagement.

Today is about coming up with a strategy for the N60. When I was young fella in the early eighties, there was talk of a ring road or relief road around Castlerea. In the county development plan from 2013 to 2018, there was talk of exploring a strategy for a ring road or float road around Castlerea. None of these strategies or plans ever materialised. However, what we know from the TII's plan is that 70% of the traffic that goes through Castlerea passes directly through the town. The national road goes through Castlerea. It does not stop.

We are lucky in Castlerea to be national beneficiaries and involved in the town centre first plans. We are looking into opening up our town and making it more accessible and easier for the demographic that lives in the area, the majority of whom are older. We have one of the highest percentages of over-55s in the country. We need to make our town accessible to people. I would very much welcome an inclusion in the national development plan, NDP, to explore the strategy for our relief road or to do a scheme on Hell's Kitchen corner in Castlerea that makes the town flow an awful lot easier and make it a lot more accessible.

Recently, I did a walkability assessment with the Brothers of Charity Services in Castlerea. The majority of people from two different sides of the town identified that as the most dangerous area for them crossing the road. Be it in cars or on foot, all the service users with the Brothers of Charity Services highlighted that as a major issue. I welcome a discussion on this.

I thank the Senator for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in relation to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015, and in line with the national development plan, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of national roads is a matter for TII in conjunction with the local authorities concerned. TII ultimately delivers the national roads programme in line with Project Ireland 2040, the national planning framework and the NDP.

Funding for national roads is provided in the context of the NDP. The review of the NDP was published by the Government on the 22 July. This plan sets out capital ceilings for transport to 2030. The Department will now progress the sectoral plan for the 2026-30 period, which will be published later this year. This will take into account transport priorities in the coming years for all parts of the country, including County Roscommon. Funding provided through the NDP continues to deliver capital investment on new national roads, enabling improved regional accessibility across the country as well as compact growth, which are key national strategic outcomes.

The funding provides for the development of numerous national road projects, including the completion of projects which are already at construction stage and those close to it, as well as the development of a number of others. A major priority in the NDP, in line with the Department's investment hierarchy, is to maintain the quality and safety of the existing national road network. This includes funding for minor improvement projects and safety schemes such as junction upgrades and road realignment and pavement renewal.

As a greater proportion of funding becomes available in the NDP in the second half of the decade, this has meant there has been a constraint on the funding available for new projects in 2025. However, approximately €502 million of Exchequer capital funds for national roads was provided through TII to the local authorities for the construction of new roads and the protection and renewal of the existing network. I understand from TII that Roscommon County Council has not been in a position to prioritise the proposed ring road scheme in Castlerea due to the many competing demands from other schemes for these resources. Given the recent review of the NDP, TII is not in a position to consider funding a project on the N60 to bypass Castlerea until the sectoral plan for transport is published later this year. I made inquiries and my understanding is that there were informal discussions between Roscommon County Council and TII on the issue. However, no formal application has been made. I suggest that the Senator follow up with Roscommon County Council to interact with TII on this proposal in advance of the sectoral plans for transport, which will be published later this year.

In 2025, approximately €88 million was allocated for the construction of new national roads in Roscommon, with an additional €8 million being allocated for the improvement of the existing network. This has delivered significant improvements to the network, as demonstrated by the N5 Ballaghaderreen to Scramoge project, the construction of which is well under way. This important project will enhance regional accessibility and improve connectivity in the region. It will deliver improvements for all users of the N5. In addition to the investment into the national road network in County Roscommon, there is also significant investment in place for regional and local roads in the county. On 14 February 2025, the Minister for Transport announced an investment of €713 million in regional and local roads across the State. This is an overall increase of more than 8% in funding this year. Roscommon County Council received an allocation of almost €23 million, which is an increase of approximately €1.65 million on the 2024 allocation.

We know the money has been allocated for the N5. I take on board what the Minister of State said about engaging with the local authority. When the TII conversation came before the councillors, it was a matter of taking all or none of the safety measures. As a result of the lack of engagement on the ground, none of the measures was taken on board. However, the roads engineer in Roscommon said at the time that if we were to try to look at a ring road or a float road in Castlerea we would be looking at an eight-to-ten year project. That was two years ago and nothing has happened since, as the Minister of State has outlined. That is very disappointing to hear. The right time to do this, and the most cost-effective time to do it, was 20 years ago. The second right time to do this is now. We cannot wait for this to be a more expensive project in a few years' time. Every plan has produced and has suggested this. Seeking NRA funding for the process of development of this scheme was suggested in the 2013 plan. I, as a layperson, contacted the then Minister, Eamon Ryan, in December 2023 about this project. I made a proposal to him and produced maps. I forwarded that work to the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, in August of this year. I have not got a response on that yet. With all of the positive schemes that are out there, I cannot see why there cannot be a more joined-up approach to this. We are participants, as I said, in the town centre first scheme. That would be the perfect time to highlight that this is a growing need and it is a necessity at this stage. If the Minister had been here, I was also going to ask if age-friendly housing could be included in the discussion, because I think that would open up the town as well. I will follow up with the Minister and his Department. I thank the Minister of State for coming in today.

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. Due to the issue of funding constraints for national roads, a prioritisation exercise was necessary in line with the NDP and Government policy. The Minister of Transport allocated national road funding in a manner which sought to achieve the key outcomes of protecting and renewing the existing national road network, progressing major projects that are near completion and progressing major projects which are in the early stages of development. In 2025, approximately €96 million was allocated to the national road network in Roscommon. This funded the protection and renewal of the existing road network and included new national road projects such as the N5. I will follow up with the Department to respond to the Senator's correspondence. I suggest that the Senator follow up himself with the Minister for Transport and I encourage him to engage with Roscommon County Council regarding its engagement with TII. The sectoral plans will come on stream at the end of the year. There is a process there. I thank the Senator for raising this matter on behalf of his constituents.

I want to raise the urgent matter of road safety outside Dunkineely National School, in my locality. There has been a lack of progress on implementing traffic calming measures which have been repeatedly called for by local representatives, parents and gardaí. The school is located on the N56, a busy national secondary road that has had multiple near misses recently. The speed in the school zone is unacceptable and children, parents and staff are at risk at drop-offs and pick-ups. I have repeatedly raised this issue and I have called for an update from TII, but have received vague responses about ongoing reports. It has now emerged that funding for the road safety improvement may not be available until 2026, which is simply too late. I ask the Minister of State to provide a clear update on the status of the traffic calming measures planned for Dunkineely National School, to confirm whether the Department and TII visited the site, to explain why emergency funding was not made available to rectify this and to outline the interim safety measures that can be implemented to protect children. This is not just a matter of infrastructure; it is a matter of child safety. We cannot wait until tragedy strikes before action is taken. The community has done everything to highlight this issue. It is now time for the State to stand up and get this done before something happens. It is getting very dangerous. The parents do their bit at the school and, in fairness, the gardaí come and sit on one side to slow the traffic down. Something has to be done here. It cannot continue to be brushed off as happened for the past two years.

I thank Senator Boyle for raising this important matter which I am taking on behalf of the Minister of Transport, Deputy Darragh O'Brien. I understand that safety at this location is of concern to the Senator and those he represents, particularly the children, parents and teaching staff of the school. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in relation to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place for Transport Infrastructure Ireland under the Roads Acts 1993-2015, in line with the national development plan, planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual roads is a matter for TII in conjunction with the local authority concerned. The priority in the NDP is to maintain the quality and safety of the existing road network. In the context of the national roads programme capital budget, which is provided by the Department to TII, significant funding has been provided towards safeguarding the national road network.

In 2025, approximately €15.6 million in capital Exchequer funding was allocated for protection of the existing national road network in Donegal. This included allocations for minor road improvements on the N56. TII's road safety section discussed the progression of potential safety improvements on the N56 at Dunkineely National School with Donegal County Council in a meeting held in March of this year. Donegal County Council has developed an assessment of potential options at this location. This work has contributed to a feasibility report setting out safety measures that Donegal County Council proposes to implement, the estimated scheme costs and the expected safety benefits. This report is being considered by TII and approval to commence the design stage has been given to Donegal County Council. Works at this location will be considered for progression in 2026, subject to funding availability. There has been progress.

I hope that sheds some light for the parents, teachers and children of the school.

With regard to the safe routes to school programme, invitations to make expressions of interest were sent to all primary and secondary schools in the country. A total of 932 schools applied for the safe routes to school programme. This equates to around a quarter of all schools in the country. A total of 170 schools were selected for round 1 of the programme in summer 2021. Round 2 of the safe routes to school programme, consisting of 108 schools, was announced on 12 December 2022. Round 3, which was launched in November 2024, saw a further 141 schools enter the programme.

The nature of the safe routes to school programme is that all schools who initially applied will eventually enter the programme on a rolling basis and there will be no need to reapply. I understand that Dunkineely National School did not apply to the programme. It should be noted, however, that because a school is not currently in the safe routes to school programme, it does not mean that it will not receive any new or improved active travel infrastructure.

While there are no plans for an additional call for schools to join the programme currently, funding for active travel infrastructure for schools is not confined to the safe routes to schools programme alone. In some cases, schools outside the safe routes to school programme are included in wider active travel projects if they are in the vicinity of these works. In fact, all active travel funding looks to improve links to schools, where possible, and this will be provided through the programme for Government commitment that €360 million in cross-government funding will be spent on walking and cycling per annum over the lifetime of the Government.

I thank the Minister of State for coming in. It is my understanding that Dunkineely National School did not apply for the safe routes to school programme because the process would simply take too long. We do not have time in this instance. We are talking about a busy road that caters for all the traffic that is going to Donegal and Killybegs. Large lorries loaded with fish heading to Dublin pass school. The Minister of State drove past it. He understands that it is situated on a hill. I showed it to him. He gets where I am coming from. Lorries coming down the hill travel at speed. It is very hard for vehicles to stop at the traffic lights outside the school. Traffic calming measures have to be put in place throughout the village of Dunkineely. It will be too late when something happens. I do not want to be standing here in a years' time and asking where the traffic calming measures are now. It is something that needs to be done as soon as possible for the sake of our children going to school, their parents and the teachers. Were it not for the people who stand at the traffic lights every day and man them to make sure the children cross the roads safely, there would be an accident.

Once again, I thank Senator Boyle for raising this important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy O'Brien. The Minister for Transport is conscious of the importance of ensuring road safety, particularly in the vicinity of schools. Senator Boyle will be well aware that getting progress on projects is a process. As I stated in the initial answer from the Minister, TIl’s road safety section discussed the progression of potential safety improvements at N56 Dunkineely National School with Donegal County Council at a meeting held in March. Donegal County Council has developed an assessment of potential options at this location. This work has contributed to a feasibility report setting out the safety measures that Donegal County Council propose to implement, the estimated scheme costs and the expected safety benefits. This report has been considered by TIl and approval to commence the design stage has been given to Donegal County Council. Works at this location will be considered for progression in 2026 subject to funding availability.

I suggest that the Senator provide updated information to the Minister for Transport. This will come to the attention of the Minister and the officials, but in terms of the structure and process, I ask that he write formally to the Minister to update him on where matters stand. He will be linking in with Donegal County Council and TII as well.

I know how important this matter is. A process is under way. It is now a question of the funding being made available to ensure that this progresses as quickly as possible.

I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this important matter. I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber. I ask for a clear timeline for the completion of the long-awaited expansion to Bailieborough Community School in County Cavan. This school has rightly been described as being the victim of its own success. That is good. My Cavan colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Niamh Smyth, raised the issue with the Taoiseach as far back as 2020, pointing out the pressure on space and the impact on students and staff. At that time, the school already had over 650 students enrolled. Today, enrolment has reached 700.

Five years ago, €2 million was approved for an extension to provide additional classrooms, a multimedia room, a new science laboratory and preparation area. In March 2021, further accommodation was approved under the additional school accommodation scheme. This approval included four general classrooms, four special education rooms, an art and music room, a science laboratory, a library and dining facilities. This shows the Minister of State the extent of the need required in Bailieborough Community School. In December 2024, planning permission was granted for a significant three-storey extension. We are five years on from funding approval announcements and we still have not broken ground yet. I am curious as to why there is not more urgency when it comes to advancing this project. Now that planning permission has been approved, I would expect to see faster progression of commencement works on the extension. I understand that the Department is awaiting the submission of the stage 2b report from the design team.

The school has made two requests to the Department in June and August for the design team to commence the prequalification process of the project, but it was denied both times. Time is money when it comes to increasing costs, be that inflation or year-on-year increases in the cost of material labour. In that context, I genuinely cannot understand why, other than for nonsensical bureaucratic reasons, this process cannot commence. I know the Department has to follow due diligence, but we are almost a year on from when planning permission was granted and we have no clear idea as to when we can expect to see the extension completed. Is the Minister of State able to confirm a timeline for completion in order that we will not be left wondering?

I thank Senator O’Reilly for raising this matter because it gives me the opportunity to update the House, on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy Helen McEntee, on the current position regarding the new building project for Bailieborough Community School, Virginia Road, Bailieborough, County Cavan.

The project referred to was originally approved to enter the Department of Education and Youth’s pipeline for school building projects under the additional school accommodation, ASA, scheme to provide four general classrooms and two specialist rooms. However, following further engagement with the school and a review of the accommodation requirements, the scope of the project was reassessed. On foot of this review, the approved brief was expanded to provide eight general classrooms, four special education tuition rooms, one music room, one textiles room, one art room, one project store, one multimedia room, two science laboratories with one preparation area, one library and a general purpose dining hall, along with reconfiguration of the existing music room into a mainstream classroom. The project has been devolved for delivery to the school authority.

The stage 1 early design report was submitted to Department of Education officials in late 2021. Following a period of communication and clarification with the school, the Department undertook a comprehensive review of the project from both a technical and cost perspective in accordance with the requirements of the public spending code. Subsequently, approval to advance this project to stage 2a with the incorporation of comments and recommendations from the Department was granted in quarter 4 of 2022.

A stage 2a developed design report was received by the Department in quarter 3 of 2023 and reviewed by the Department with approval to progress to stage 2b planning granted in quarter 2 of 2024, a matter to which the Senator already referred. The Department of education is awaiting the submission of the stage 2b post-planning report. Full grant of planning was received in quarter 1 of 2025 from the planning authorities. Once this is submitted for evaluation, the report must include all statutory requirements associated with the planning process.

At this early stage, it is not possible to predict when this school building project will go to construction, nor when it will be practically completed, as progress depends upon many contingent factors that can arise throughout the process. Senator O'Reilly made specific reference to the prequalification process. That is something she can follow up directly with the Department and the Minister on. I would not know the particular details, but it is something she referenced. Officials will be looking into the specific matter she raised, but she might follow up formally with the Department.

Since 2020, the Department has invested over €6 billion in our schools throughout the country under the national development plan, involving the completion of more than 1,400 school building projects.

Government support for this investment, including by way of supplementary capital funding, has delivered real benefits for school communities. Supplementary capital funding of €210 million approved by Government has brought the total capital allocation for 2025 for the Department to €1.6 billion. In July, the Government announced a capital allocation of €7.5 billion for the Department of Education and Youth for the period 2026 to 2030 under the national development plan. As part of this NDP allocation the Department will place a strong emphasis on provision for children with special educational needs, with a particular focus on meeting annual school place needs.

In relation to project roll-out for large-scale projects and additional school accommodation scheme projects, the approach will be to continue to maximise the capacity of the existing school estate as much as possible in the first instance and to provide necessary additional capacity through targeted and prioritised project roll-out over the course of the 2026 to 2030 period to meet the most urgent and prioritised needs.

I thank the Minister of State for the update. I welcome that the project has reached this stage of the process and that the Department is reviewing the report. However, I must express the real sense of frustration on the ground in Bailieborough. We have been talking about this expansion since 2020 and the need has only become more pressing, with enrolments climbing steadily every year. I cannot see why the pre-evaluation process cannot go ahead. I accept that due diligence is necessary in line with the public infrastructure guidelines but I urge the Minister for education and her Department to move this project forward with urgency.

Bailieborough is recognised as a self-sustaining town in the county's settlement hierarchy. Its population has grown rapidly and we cannot leave the school to cope with this indefinitely. The school is already bursting at the seams and space is at a premium. Delays to this extension will result in limited facilities and additional pressure on teaching and learning spaces. The proposed lab, music room, art room and library are exciting for both teachers and students. Students who were attending the school at the time of the first announcement have now gone on to college. They did not get to see the new facilities materialise.

In March 2026 a new housing estate of 48 social houses is due for completion, which will create further demand for school places. At this rate we will soon be looking for an extension to the fantasy extension that is still not built. A clear timeline for delivery would provide reassurance to the community that this is being prioritised. I welcome that the Department is committed to progressing the project but I ask for a commitment to a clear timeline for when we can expect to see construction start and when the Department hopes to see the school extension completed.

Once again, I thank Senator O’Reilly for bringing up this issue on behalf of her constituents. As I said earlier, I am dealing with this matter on behalf of the Minister for education, Deputy McEntee. The Department of Education and Youth awaits the submission of the stage 2b post-planning report and will progress the project once this has been submitted for evaluation. The report must include all statutory requirements associated with the planning process. At this stage it is not possible to predict when this school building will go to construction and be completed as progress depends on many contingent factors that can arise throughout the process. I suggest that the Senator communicate directly with the Department and the Minister on the particular circumstances surrounding this school building project. The Minister and the Department want to see school building projects built as quickly as possible.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O’Connor, to the House.

I thank the Minister of State for being here today. October is breast cancer awareness month so it is very timely that I am raising this issue today, the same day that I will attend my annual mammogram. I will most certainly be repeating myself today as I have spoken previously about the delays in scanning in symptomatic breast clinics. I will continue to repeat myself because the situation really concerns me.

I am speaking both as a breast cancer survivor and as the founder of one of Ireland's largest online support communities for people affected by breast cancer. Every day I hear of the challenges and fears people face, from the moment they have a concern to when, if they are unfortunate, they receive a diagnosis. Breast cancer cases are rising, with almost 3,600 women diagnosed in Ireland each year. Approximately 23% of them are under 49 and 37% are aged between 50 and 64, while 39% are over 65 years of age. Since the 1990s, breast cancer diagnoses have increased by 120%. Survival rates have improved. The five-year survival rates are now around 85% compared with 70% two decades ago. For younger women, cancers tend to be more aggressive, making early detection critical. For those with metastatic disease, survival is far lower. This is why timely access to diagnostics and equitable care across all regions must remain a national priority.

I welcome the updated GP referral guidelines from 2023 because GPs are often the first step in saving lives. I know because I have my own GP, Dr. Barry Quinn, to thank for my timely referral. However, guidelines only matter if the system delivers. Key performance indicators state that urgent referrals should be seen within ten working days and non-urgent referrals within 12 weeks. In 2024, compliance nationally was 76% but this varied hugely by hospital. It was as low as 29% in some and as high as 91% in others. That is an unacceptable gap. Scans for new patients should take place within 12 weeks of a consultant's assessment. Compliance with this was reported to be 92% but here is the real problem: many younger women who see a consultant are examined but not scanned. They are then sent away to wait for another three months for imaging, with some ending up waiting six months or more for a full assessment. For aggressive cancers, that delay could mean the difference between early detection and a late-stage diagnosis.

When I was diagnosed in 2013 I received a triple assessment on the day of my first appointment and my chemotherapy was organised almost immediately. I was at stage three and swift action saved my life. I must ask again, as I have done previously, if the process or policy has changed? If so, why has it changed? What is the point of the first appointment if no scan takes place? Most women attending breast clinics will require a scan so why not perform it that day? Stories from younger women are devastating. The Too Young to be Heard campaign highlights how young women feel that they are being dismissed because of their age and, when they finally reach a clinic, delays continue. They are not asking for special treatment but for timely, appropriate care. Today I am asking for a clear commitment that symptomatic breast clinics will be resourced to carry out diagnostic scans at the first appointment, ensuring that younger women will no longer feel dismissed or be left waiting months for a scan. I speak from experience when I say that breast cancer treatment in Ireland is very good. The outcome for many patients is positive but the delay in diagnosing younger women risks costing those women their lives or costing them precious time.

I thank the Senator for her very passionate words as a cancer survivor. It is so important that the Senator, through her role, highlights these concerns. It is great to see her doing so well today. We all know how cancer can affect families. There is not a family in Ireland that has not been affected in some way by cancer. I thank her for her advocacy and hope that her health will be brilliant. She is doing a very good job, for which I thank her.

Breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer among women in Ireland and accounts for 32% of all invasive cancers diagnosed in women.

One in seven Irish women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Early detection improves survival rates, allows for less invasive management and enhances quality of life for patients.

Symptomatic breast disease, SBD, rapid-access clinics are run in each of the eight designated cancer centres and in one networked centre. Each year approximately 45,000 women are seen in these clinics and this figure is increasing year on year. That is a concern, as the Senator said. The SBD clinics triage referrals according to symptoms, with patients triaged as either urgent or non-urgent. HSE key performance indicators, KPIs, set out that urgent referrals are to be offered an appointment within ten working days, while non-urgent referrals are to be offered an appointment within 12 weeks. I will highlight this to the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and ask what we can do to improve it. Everything to do with breast care is about timing.

The HSE advises that when breast cancer is suspected, diagnosis in the breast clinic is made by triple assessment consisting of a clinical assessment, which is an exam; a scan; and a biopsy. Not all patients who attend SBD clinics require triple assessment. Within SBD clinics, referrals are triaged by clinicians and where a triple assessment is deemed necessary, the timing of these tests is determined by clinical concern. It is all clinician-led.

With regard to the matter raised by the Senator, the HSE has a KPI monitoring compliance with the target that breast imaging clinical requests - that is, mammography or ultrasound - for new patients should be carried out within 12 weeks of the consultant surgeon’s assessment in the specialist clinic. National compliance with this KPI for the last 12 months on a rolling basis is 90%.

For urgent patients attending a triple assessment clinic, this imaging is frequently completed on the same day as the clinic. The Early Diagnosis of Symptomatic Cancer Plan 2022-2025, which has been extended to 2027, emphasises the need to continually identify and address health-system factors that affect the timeliness of diagnoses. That is crucial. The national cancer control programme monitors progress on this data on a regular basis.

Advances in cancer detection and treatment have been achieved through sustained investment in our health services. In budget 2025, an additional €23 million was secured for the national cancer strategy. This means over €105 million has been invested in the strategy since 2017, which has enabled the recruitment of over 670 staff to our national cancer services.

The Government remains committed to the implementation of the national cancer strategy and to continuing to build on improvements to services and better outcomes for patients.

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I have concerns. There is a specific issue with the symptomatic breast disease clinics. It is about when a girl, generally of 36 years or under, presents after being referred by her GP with a lump and is sent away without a scan that day. I think something has changed over the years. Years ago when I was diagnosed, I never met anybody who was sent away without a scan on the day. The question I have asked several times is whether something changed. Did something change around the time the early diagnosis of symptomatic cancer plan was put together? I will follow up with the Minister for an answer on that issue.

I will be delighted to follow up with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, today. It is like everything in life. The Senator mentioned the good things that happened in the process but when someone has gone through the process, the only concern really is the timing of assessments, whether the scan, the biopsy or the test. I will definitely go back to the Minister on that.

Early diagnosis is so important in cases of cancer. Since the first national cancer strategy in 1996, detection and diagnosis at the earliest possible stage has been a key priority for us. Cancer services and infrastructure have been designed and delivered through successful national cancer strategies alongside developments in treatment, which have led to improvements in cancer survival rates. Breast cancer survivors constitute the largest cancer survivor group in Ireland, comprising 22% of all cancer survivors. As I said, nearly 50% of women at last count are breast cancer survivors, which is really important.

In relation to concerns over waiting times, the time of the triple assessment is determined by a clinician. This is a clinical concern so urgent patients are prioritised. I will definitely come back to the Senator on that.

Access to diagnostics is a challenge across all cancer services and is suggestive of wider pressures on radiology across the health system. The national cancer control programme has produced a range of guidelines aimed at ensuring standardised access to cancer services. These will reduce variations in the management of patients, including those referred for triple assessment, and will lead to more appropriate referral and management of patients. I will get the Senator more information on that.

Where hospitals are challenged to meet their targets, it is important to say this is often due to staff vacancies. Regarding accessing diagnostics and capacity issues, individual hospitals respond to these challenges with local improvement plans, whether additional clinics, outsourcing diagnostics or reviewing patient pathways to another process.

The Government remains committed to implementation of the national cancer strategy and to building on the significant investment and process already made to improve outcomes of patients. This is a timely and important area.

I want to thank the Senator and say how well she is doing. She is an example to all breast cancer survivors in Ireland.

I thank the Minister of State for coming in to discuss this all-important topic. I ask for an update on indoor vaping.

In 2022, I brought a Private Members' motion to this House and the Minister of State's predecessor, Deputy Feighan, took it on behalf of the then Minister, Stephen Donnelly. I was assured we were at an advanced stage of bringing forward recommendations on indoor vaping.

I have had businesses and people in public places on to me and they are not comfortable with people vaping at the next table to them or in the hall. Some businesses have taken it upon themselves to ban indoor vaping. There is European legislation and research on the emissions involved. While there is no proof things are not safe, my understanding is the HSE and the Department were doing some research on it. Where is that at? Businesses which have taken a decision not to allow indoor vaping are not covered by any laws. One or two of them have been threatened with legal proceedings or being sued by people who say they have no right to ban vaping. It is a serious issue and an issue of concern to many people. The ban should be not only in public buildings but also in businesses and indoors in general.

I thank the Senator for raising another important issue. More young people are vaping and it is also an issue for businesses. How we work on that will be very important.

The Government promotes smoke- and aerosol-free environments through a variety of legislative and non-legislative measures, as set out in the tobacco-free Ireland policy. The Public Health (Tobacco) Act banned smoking in indoor workplaces in 2004. In 2014, legislation prohibited smoking in a car with a child present. This legislation was in response to robust evidence on the disease and premature death that may be caused by second-hand smoke.

This legislation currently does not apply to vaping or smoking in certain residential facilities, in outdoor areas such as parks, beaches and playgrounds, and on health and education campuses. The promotion of smoke-free and aerosol-free environments in these contexts takes place through voluntary efforts. The Senator is 100% right on that. A lot of businesses are doing it through their own voluntary efforts. Many businesses and organisations have introduced their own restrictions on vaping indoors, for example, in bars and restaurants and even on public transport. The HSE continues to implement and support tobacco- and e-cigarette-free health and education campuses. A particular success in many of our local areas has been the Not Around Us campaign, which seeks to increase the number of smoke-free and vape-free environments by amplifying the voices of our young people. This is led by our young people. They have been campaigning about not having smoke and so on. This is important and we must listen to our young people.

Any proposed law must be underpinned by evidence. Currently, there is a lack of evidence of significant health harms from second-hand vape fumes. The WHO has concluded that it may pose some harm to bystanders but further research is greatly needed. Irish public health experts have noted, however, that a legislative ban on vaping indoors may be justified based on the denormalisation of vaping and the uncertainty around future possible health impacts from second-hand aerosol.

The process of examining legislative restrictions on indoor vaping began in late 2023 with a public consultation on smoke- and vape-free areas, alongside other options, to further regulate tobacco- and nicotine-inhaling products. Consultation also took place with the national environmental health service in the HSE on the practicalities of how we enforce the measures under public consultation. That was the main thing for us. The Minister proceeded with the measures that would likely have the greatest impact on reducing youth vaping. Members will be aware that the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is working on this and is very much committed to it. Legislation is being drafted, which we are working on together, to restrict flavours, packaging, point-of-sale display, and advertising for nicotine-inhaling products. A further Bill will ban the sale of single-use vapes. These Bills are a priority for publication and we are hoping to have them in the autumn legislative programme as soon as possible. I am absolutely committed to getting the legislation into the two Houses urgently.

Other possible measures are being kept under consideration, particularly regarding an update to the tobacco-free Ireland policy, which is currently under way. This will include a review of the existing range of legislative and non-legislative measures to promote smoke-free and vape-free environments and to consider whether any existing provisions require strengthening. This will be done in the context of the update in December 2024 to the European Council’s recommendation on smoke-free and aerosol-free environments, which Ireland supported. This encourages member states to protect the public from both smoke and vape fumes in a range of indoor and outdoor public environments.

In short, the Government is looking at this in a rounded manner as part of a review of the broader policy while focusing on the urgent measures required to reduce youth vaping.

I welcome that a Bill is coming to address vapes, including some of the flavours, albeit not all of them, as well as single-use vapes. This is very good news but I still do not understand something. We took a brave move when we brought in the smoking ban and made smokers go out to the smoking area, so why can we not put vapers into the smoking area as well? I believe that people are concerned about this. It is not just youth who are vaping, but all ages. Numbers are going up in terms of the sale of vapes, with more and more people vaping. It is not a fix to do with anti-smoking or stopping smoking, and I believe that people are now vaping more regularly. This legislation to ban it completely indoors has to come sooner rather than later.

Legislation is one tool we have and it is very important, but we are continuing to support the great voluntary initiatives being implemented by the local authorities and the HSE. They have also been funded to carry out a vaping prevention campaign for young people. Like the Senator, I am very mindful that it is not just young people who are vaping. Rather, it is across the board. We are working on two important Bills that will come to the House very soon on the banning of disposable vapes and to look at the colours, flavours and packaging and having a shutter. I also understand the issues around vaping, be it through businesses or indoors.

Everything is being looked at. The main thing with vaping at the moment is how much information we have on it. We are working on different areas, including information around what the long-term effects could be. I assure the Senator that I will go back to the Minister and we will make this a priority. I will absolutely raise the Senator's concerns.

I thank all of the shops and other businesses that are using their own initiative and telling people they cannot vape in them. Fair play to them. At the end of the day, it is really important that they are showing the initiative to do that. Well done to all of them.

I thank the House for having me today.

I thank the Minister of State.