Louth's cancer resources 'outdated' - Ó Murchú

‘Outdated rosters, equipment and resources’ need to be radically improved for cancer services in Louth, Dundalk TD Ruairí Ó Murchú has said.

The Sinn Féin TD was speaking during his party’s recent motion in Leinster House on the need for a better cancer strategy to be developed.

He said that many people have ‘harrowing stories to tell’ and while many attest that the system is ‘brilliant once you get in’, there is far too much slippage lately.

He said: “Some 15% of chemotherapy patients and 23% of radiotherapy patients do not start treatment on time. It is as simple as that. 

“There are delays in surgical care, with 61% of prostate cancer surgeries, 45% of breast cancer surgeries and 39% of lung cancer surgeries not happening within the recommended timeframes.

“That speaks for itself. It is just not good enough”.

He highlighted statistics from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda which ranks 16th out of the 25 hospitals providing chemotherapy with 17% of people not getting chemotherapy within the target timeframe of 15 working days. 

He said: There were 67 people in Drogheda who faced serious delays for chemotherapy in 2025. That is not good enough whatsoever. 

“We know that there are issues with resources, outdated rosters and outdated equipment. They just need to be dealt with”.