Cancer Services
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-27
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Fiona O'Loughlin (FF), Administrative Panel

I thank the Minister of State. In her response, she acknowledged that "breast reconstruction surgery following treatment is an important part of a patient's recovery and should be accessible to everybody". It is not just an important part; it should be an urgent part. It is not cosmetic. It is a recognised component of cancer recovery. At the moment, public patients are facing prolonged uncertain waits. It appears from the statistics that women's reconstructive surgery is consistently deprioritised within the elective care system. The delayed reconstruction effectively extends the cancer journey by several years. It undermines recovery, dignity and long-term well-being. There must be more that the Minister and the HSE can do. I acknowledge that the treatment abroad scheme is used, but that is not going to suit everybody. We need to get the data on the waiting list action plan 2025. Going forward, we need to look at surgeons promoting immediate surgery when it suits. There also needs to be an increased Government budget allowance.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-01-27/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:33+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-27