Health Services Seanad Éireann — 2026-07-08 ============================================================ Teresa Costello (FF), Agricultural Panel I am calling on the Minister to outline the measures that are being taken to improve access to lymphoedema services across Ireland, with a particular focus on prevention, education, early intervention and support for breast cancer patients. Lymphoedema, for anyone who does not know, is a chronic and progressive condition that affects thousands of people throughout Ireland. I know many people who developed the condition following their treatment for breast cancer, yet awareness of the condition is very limited. While we have made significant progress on breast cancer treatment and survival rates, a lot of patients continue to face barriers in accessing the information, services and supports they need to live well after treatment. Speaking from my personal experience, I know how traumatic and upsetting the development of lymphoedema can be. I always knew that there was a risk I could develop lymphoedema because of the surgery I underwent as part of my breast cancer treatment. However, after 12 years I did not expect lymphoedema to develop. Like many patients, I believed the passage of time had significantly reduced my risk. To develop a lifelong condition so many years after treatment was very unexpected, distressing and emotionally challenging. Lymphoedema can cause swelling of limbs and people can become very self-conscious of their appearance when that happens. My own experience highlights an important reality that lymphoedema can develop many years after cancer treatment. The risk does not disappear with time and patients need to understand that from the outset. Education cannot stop when active treatment ends. Women and men are living beyond cancer and they need ongoing information, reassurance and access to services when problems arise. Prevention and early intervention must become a real focus in our approach to lymphoedema care. Every breast cancer patient should receive clear and consistent information before and after surgery about the risk of developing lymphoedema and the steps that can be taken to minimise that risk. Patients should be educated about preventative measures such as maintaining a healthy weight, engaging in appropriate exercise, practising good skincare, reducing the risk of infection, avoiding trauma to the affected limb where possible and recognising early symptoms such as swelling, heaviness, tightness or discomfort. Early identification and intervention can prevent lymphoedema progression and significantly improves outcomes. Education on lymphoedema is equally important for healthcare professionals such as GPs, public health nurses, physiotherapists and community healthcare teams. They must be equipped with the knowledge to recognise lymphoedema early, provide advice and ensure patients are referred promptly for specialist assessment and treatment. There is a pressing need to strengthen specialist lymphoedema services across the country. Many patients experience lengthy waiting lists or must travel considerable distances. We need an increased number of specialist staff, additional lymphoedema therapists and equitable access to services regardless of where a patient lives. Community-based supports are vital. I know that in Beaumont Hospital there was talk of examining the potential for advanced treatment options, specifically a lymphoedema surgical procedure for breast cancer patients. However, progress on that initiative seems to have stalled even though we have the expertise. I think the initiative lacked aftercare, which would have included healthcare providers such as physiotherapists. I ask the Minister of State to outline the measures that have been taken to improve education and awareness and to strengthen preventative care. Lymphoedema affects an awful lot of people but it is little spoken about. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-07-08/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:55:10+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-07-08