Cancer support centres in Wicklow still waiting for budget funding
The Wicklow PeopleCancer support services in Bray, Greystones and Arklow have yet to receive funding allocated under Budget 2025.
The government pledged to invest €41 million in cancer services this year, including a €5.5 million allocation to the Alliance of Community Cancer Support Centres and Services.
Purple House in Bray, Greystones Cancer Support and Arklow Cancer Support Group are members of the Alliance and were due to receive funding during 2025.
However, it’s understood none of those groups have received that funding.
Former Health Minister Stephen Donnelly first made the announcement while paying a visit to Purple House Cancer Support Centre in Bray last October, where he also stated he had asked his Department to consider funding for other cancer support services in County Wicklow.
These include Wicklow Town Cancer Support, West Wicklow Cancer Support, Rathdrum Cancer Support and Roundwood Cancer Support.
Funding was also ringfenced for these community cancer support groups around the county, but they have yet to be contacted by officials from the HSE.
Raising the issue in the Dáil recently, Social Democrats TD for Wicklow Jennifer Whitmore called on her constituency colleague Tánaiste Simon Harris to make sure the promise of funding for these groups is kept.
“The Tánaiste and I both well know the amazing work these cancer groups do in County Wicklow. I have seen correspondence from the former Minister where he said that funding would be recurrent funding, no matter the affiliation with the National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP).”
In response Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said The HSE and the NCCP have recently been working with community organisations to distribute the 2025 funding allocation.
“The first call for the full members of the Alliance of Community Cancer Support Centres, of which Purple House is one, is now almost complete and the second call for the associate members is now under way.”
“The Alliance has 21 full members and 22 associate members. The associate members will now go through that process as well, but the priority is, of course, for the full members.” she added.