Cancer charity funding is bumped up to €400,000
Annual cash boost for Barretstown kids’ camp
‘It will help us meet growing demand’
NEW funding for a vital service to help children fight cancer in Ireland has been announced.
Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly announced that Government funding for Barretstown will increase from €150,000 to €400,000 annually while visiting the organisation in Co. Kildare.
Barretstown is Ireland’s largest provider of medically endorsed camps and programmes for children affected by cancer and other serious illnesses.
Founded in 1994 by Hollywood icon Paul Newman, Barretstown turns 30 this year, a milestone for the not-for-profit that has helped more than 120,000 children.
‘The breadth of medically endorsed therapeutic programmes that are offered by Barretstown to seriously ill children and their families help them to rebuild confidence, independence, self-esteem and to enhance emotional well-being,’ the group said.
Barretstown chief Dee Ahearn added: ‘We are delighted to welcome Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly to Barretstown and to receive the news of an increase to our annual Government funding.
‘This increased contribution is an important recognition by the Government of the vital services provided by Barretstown and it will play an important role in helping us to meet the growing demand for our programmes.’
Mr Donnelly said: ‘I am delighted to announce an increase in Government funding for the charity Barretstown to €400,000 annually.
‘The services and supports provided by Barretstown align with the objectives of the National Cancer Strategy to cater for the psychosocial wellbeing of young people affected by cancer.
‘This year alone, Barretstown will provide services for up to 22,000 seriously ill children and families, through its residential and outreach programmes.’ Last week at the Oireachtas Health Committee, the Irish Cancer Society said the National Cancer Strategy, which was launched in 2017, has been fully funded only twice in seven years. That strategy was set up by then Minister for Health and current Taoiseach, Simon Harris.
Irish Cancer Society chief Averil Power said this underfunding has led to a decline of progress in Ireland’s health service since the beginning of the 21st century. She said, as a result, anyone getting a cancer diagnosis today doesn’t have the best possible chance of surviving the disease, or of having a good quality of life afterwards.
Ms Power said: ‘The Irish Cancer Society was proud to sit on the steering committee that developed the [National Cancer] strategy and expected it to lead to further significant improvements in cancer survival rates here.
‘However, the Government’s failure to properly fund the strategy, and the impact of Covid-19 on cancer diagnosis and treatment, means we are no longer confident that will be the case. In fact, we are concerned that Ireland’s cancer outcomes may have stagnated or even disimproved.
‘Without funding, the National Cancer Strategy is a plan without action. And a plan without action is not a plan, it is just words. Words are no comfort to someone languishing on a waiting list for a cancer test, getting more worried by the day. Or to the healthcare professional trying to do their best in a chaotic system, knowing their patients aren’t getting the standard of care they deserve.’ garreth.macnamee@dailymail.ie