asked the Minister for Health if he will introduce legislation to place the treatment of cancer on the same footing as regards free medical cards, allowances, etc., as is the treatment of tuberculosis at present.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Treatment of Cancer.
11.
Under our health legislation, services for infectious diseases are made available more freely than for other conditions, on the traditional basis that, in caring for a person with an infectious disease, protection for the health of the community at large is being afforded, as well as succour for the individual. There is no such basis for extending the scope of the cancer service. Our present services under the Health Act, 1953, as amended, ensure that treatment for cancer is available to all who cannot arrange for it privately without undue hardship. Therefore, I do not propose to introduce legislation on the lines suggested by the Deputy.