4th November 2026
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD recently visited St. Vincent's UCD Cancer Centre at St. Vincent's University Hospital, where she met clinicians, researchers, healthcare professionals and patients, and learned more about the Centre's internationally recognised work in cancer care, research and education.
The visit highlighted the Centre's unique partnership between St. Vincent's Healthcare Group and University College Dublin (UCD), which brings together leading clinical expertise, cutting-edge research and academic excellence to improve outcomes for cancer patients across Ireland.
The Minister met with key leaders from the Centre, including Dr David Fennelly, Ms Pauline McGrath, CEO of St. Vincent's University Hospital, and Professor Orla Feeley, President of UCD. Discussions focused on three key themes that underpin the Centre's success: delivering world-class cancer care, advancing research and innovation, and training the next generation of healthcare professionals.
A particular focus of the visit was the Centre's recent designation as an Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) Comprehensive Cancer Centre, a prestigious international accreditation recognising excellence in cancer services, research, education and continuous quality improvement. The accreditation places St. Vincent's UCD Cancer Centre among a select group of cancer centres across Europe recognised for integrating high-quality patient care with research and education.
Minister Carroll MacNeill TD welcomed the achievement and acknowledged the dedication of the multidisciplinary teams whose work contributes to better outcomes and experiences for patients and their families.
As one of Ireland's eight designated adult cancer centres, St. Vincent's plays a nationally significant role in cancer treatment and care. The Centre provides six nationally designated cancer services and treats patients with some of the most complex cancers, including pancreatic cancer, primary liver cancer, neuroendocrine tumours, sarcoma and testicular cancer. It is also Ireland's largest breast cancer screening and treatment centre and one of just three centres nationally providing adult stem cell transplantation.
The Minister also heard about the Centre's strong research programme. In 2025, more than 50 cancer clinical trials and studies were open to patients, while researchers across the St. Vincent's and UCD partnership contributed to 324 cancer-related publications. This collaboration ensures that scientific discoveries can be rapidly translated into improved treatments, diagnostics and patient care.
The visit provided an opportunity to meet staff and patients and celebrate the achievements of a centre that continues to be at the forefront of cancer care in Ireland, delivering hope and better outcomes for thousands of patients every year.