asked the Minister for Health (a) the amount of money made available by his Department for cancer research (b) how this sum compares with figures for other European countries and (c) if he proposes to increase the amount allocated to cancer research during the coming financial year.

Cancer research is one of the many research activities assisted by grants provided by the Medical Research Council, which is financed mainly from the Hospitals' Trust Fund. The council's total grant from the Hospitals' Trust Fund in the current year is £147,800. It is a matter for the Medical Research Council to decide how the total grant should be allocated but I am informed that in the current year the Council made grants totalling over £44,000 for cancer research from the moneys made available from the Hospitals' Trust Fund. In addition, the Council made grants totalling over £17,000 this year for cancer research from funds made available to them from other sources. The Irish Cancer Society make grants for cancer research and in the year ended 30th September, 1972, these grants totalled almost £22,000, including, £4,000 to the Medical Research Council, which is part of the sum of £17,000 odd already mentioned. Cancer research is also carried out at St. Luke's Hospital, Dublin, and in the year ended 31st March, 1972, they spent almost £4,000 on cancer research.

Information is not readily available in my Department as to the amount spent on cancer research in other European countries.

I have received a recent application from the Medical Research Council for an increased grant for general research for the coming year and this application is being examined.

Will the Minister consider giving that increased grant?

I cannot say that. It will have to be looked at in the light of the Budget.