I also pay my respects to the victims of Srebrenica and their families. It is particularly difficult to stand for a minute's silence when we know there is also a genocide happening in Gaza. While standing I was asking myself what day we will be standing to commemorate all the Palestinians who have been slaughtered.

This week, The Journal investigates team published figures after analysing the wait time for people who had been diagnosed with cancer from diagnosis to the start of their treatment. The target of the national cancer control programme is to start treatment in 90% of cases within 15 days of receiving a diagnosis. To read that in Carlow and Kilkenny, which are served by St. Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny, these targets are being met in only 65% of cases is really shocking. Kilkenny and Waterford hospitals are two of the lowest performing hospitals in the country and both serve large swathes of the south east. Therefore, across the region, cancer services are seriously underperforming. When people get a cancer diagnosis, their world stops. They have panic, all the concerns that come with that and the confusion and fear for their own lives, and for their families and friends. Their whole life is thrown into disarray and all they want is to get started with treatment as soon as possible. We all know the quicker people get treatment, the better their health outcomes. Delayed treatment is not just delay, it is inextricably linked to how successful that treatment will be. The CEO of the Irish Cancer Society said, "This is not just a delay - it can be life altering."

I want to make clear I am not in any way criticising the staff of St. Luke's Hospital or any other hospital. They do Trojan work in extremely difficult circumstances. Again, the Government is letting people down. We need a debate in the new term on the waiting times for cancer patients. We need an update from the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on what urgent steps are being taken to address these delays and we need to have a discussion on regional disparities for cancer and other treatments. If these waiting times get longer, we risk the health outcomes of people across this country. In a country as rich as Ireland, this is simply not good enough.

I highlight that the first ever under-23 all-Ireland camogie final will take place this Saturday in the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. It is a battle between Galway and Cork and throw-in is at 2 p.m. I encourage anyone in the area and from my county to attend and see history in the making, as the camogie association has rightly marketed it. I wish both teams well, although I am hoping the cup's first trip will be westward.

Similar to Senator Stephenson, I raise the reporting done this week by The Journal on the failure of our hospitals to meet treatment target times for cancer patients.

Hospitals have a target to start treating 90% of patients within 15 working days on medications such as chemotherapy. From a Galway perspective, figures compiled by The Journal show that, although the figure for UHG was 91% in 2023, it fell to 76% in 2024. So far, the figure to date for 2025 is 73%. At Portiuncula hospital, Ballinasloe, the figures went from 53% in 2023, which was considerably low, to 74% in 2024, and has increased slightly to 75% this year. The issue has affected hospitals throughout the country. Many others have worse rates than those in Galway. Indeed, The Journal found that "since 2023, all but one of the public hospitals offering these life-saving treatments missed the HSE’s monthly target at least once". Meeting these targets is critical for our patients. This is not like the delays in other areas, which are inconvenient. Delays in starting cancer treatment can be massively life-altering.

We need to quickly examine how we can best address this. It will likely require additional investment in some form ahead of budget 2026. This needs to be priority. I would be grateful if the Leader were able to raise the issue with the current Minister for Health and if she could attend the House at her earliest convenience.