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FINANCE MINISTER MICHAEL NOONAN has described the moment he discovered he had cancer.
Noonan said he found out the same way “a lot of people” do.
“You’re showering in the morning and suddenly your fingers run over something and you say ‘Jesus, there’s a lump there’.”
Noonan, who previously served as the Minister for Health, said he was not surprised by the diagnosis, noting: “One in every three people in Ireland unfortunately get cancer sometime in their lifetime.”
Yesterday he confirmed that he had received treatment for skin cancer after finding a lump on his right shoulder in February.
He said that he received five weeks of radiotherapy in March and April at St Luke’s Hospital before having the sarcoma removed last Wednesday. He was discharged from hospital on Saturday.
Noonan said he is fit enough to continue serving as finance minister and had been “taking it easy” over the weekend.
He added that, at present, he fully intends to stand for re-election in the 2016 General Election.
“There’s another budget I need to bring in and another one after that,” he told reporters this morning.
Noonan said he told Enda Kenny about his diagnosis the day after he found out. He said he kept the Taoiseach up to date with ”a sentence here and a sentence there”, but added the pair had not held any “lengthy discussions” on the issue.
I told a couple of people who would be very close to me politically and I told my immediate family.
Noonan said he “hopes” that he will work as well with the new leader of the Labour party, either Joan Burton or Alex White, as well as he did with Eamon Gilmore.
“It’s the stated intention of both contenders to continue for the full lifetime of the government,” he remarked.
Noonan said he remained committed to getting the government’s deficit below 3 per cent of GDP this year.
On the subject of discretionary medical cards, he added that some people would be getting their cards back following a “long discussion” at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.
With reporting by Hugh O’Connell
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Friend of mine died of cancer a few months ago after a massive battle with it .Never hurt anyone in her whole life and never even thought about hurting anyone.
That’s three stories on Noonan’s cancer on the journal today.. I wouldn’t wish cancer on anyone but why does it seem his is more important than anybody else’s.. Because of his Governments cutbacks and tax increases some people actually put off going to the doctors because they have other bills to pay.. Because of the cutbacks in the HSE some patients die before they get a chance to receive the treatment I’m sure he received in days if not hours..
Have a day off Cosmo.
800 children in one septic tank. That’s almost a quarter of the total deaths in the ‘troubles’ over 30 years. It’s more than the number of British Soldiers killed throughout the troubles. Yet most of the media in this country won’t talk about it, the Government will do nothing about it and while the IRA are illegal (and rightly so in my opinion) the Roman Catholic Church have an embassy in the Country, they will try tell us how we should lead our lives, people will continue to go to their masses, to put money into this sick corrupt organisation.
Apologies wrong article ! Bloody app !!
Here here james !!
Haha
James, it’s no harm that you have posted here. Michael noonan’s cancer all over the media and barely a whisper about the dumping of 800 corpses in a septic tank, some of whom were killed through neglect.
This is definitely the most shameful thing ever to happen in this Country, yet our gombeen politicians have nothing to say.
Don’t worry James, it is still apposite when you consider the difference in treatment between our elites and those who don’t even merit a grave.
No disrespect, but noonan and his mates have hurt a lot of people , and yes people with the dreaded cancer, he dont care about anybody other than himself.
How does adding “no disrespect” in front of something that’s disrespectful make it okay?
In what sense is it supposed to be disrespectful?
Neither point is invalid- the cutbacks have caused suffering to sick people with a lot less resources
than the Minister: that’s a perfectly valid point.
Whether this government cares about anyone other than themselves… well, on recent evidence (Alan Shatter, the sudden realisation just now that they need to ‘show compassion’ )you could certainly argue that one too.
I don’t know what this story is even doing in the public domain (even though we are told he hardly told anyone!) Unless we’re supposed to see him in a better light.
Again, of course, one would not wish cancer on anyone.
Maybe he just means that he is making a comment on this person’s role as a politician- it’s not personal.
And both his remarks are valid : the cutbacks have hurt a lot of very sick people, with a lot less money or resources than Mr Noonan.
Whether this government really cares about anyone other than themselves… well you could certainly argue the point (Mr Shatter; their sudden realisation that they needed to show ‘compassion’ … )
Again, no-one would wish cancer on anyone, but why is this story (about which Mr Noonan of course ‘told hardly anyone’) even in the public domain, and why just now?
With such a deeply cynical government, you can’t help but be sceptical.
Sorry, my second post above sums up what I wanted to say- posted it after after I thought the first had been ‘lost’!
Thought that’s what he said when he got the envelope with his wages in it
Does he have a medical card?
That would be funny if it wasn’t so inappropriate.
No, it would still be not funny.
Jeez I’ll have to cancel my audition for Ireland’s got talent . You’ll just have to sit in front of and pass your well earned wealth of criticism on someone else
That’s the spirit!
I am glad to see most of us still manage to wish him well despite his govt fleecing us on a daily basis. Its never good to kick a man when he is down. We may have no money and nothing else left but at least we have compassion.
Best of health to you Michael.
Lucky he lives near a centre of excellence.
And can afford it
While I abhor what he and his colleagues are doing to this country, I wish him all the best in his fight against cancer.
Whilst I sympathise with Mr Noonan. His treatment seems to have been spotted and treated very quickly. .
But coincidentally just today, my colleague has undergone his first course of chemo’ … after been diagnosed with lung cancer in October 2013, the delay, as explained, was due to ADMIN errors..
But I’ve discovered his is far from an isolated case…
What was it Noonan said a while ago about gold plated Health plans and elitism….. equal society my ass
He should retire now and enjoy the rest of his life instead of continuing with the ego trip. The last minister for finance died of cancer and now we blame him for Irelands problems, it just isn’t worth it. Noonan should quit while he is ahead because camcer will get him eventually.
How are you scoring him that he is ahead?
He should quit because he and his cronies lied to get into power, and have done a terrible job since.
With the type of cancer that Noonan has, 80% of people are alive 5 years down the line.
Lenihan’s had a 4% 5 year survival rate.
There are very different circumstances.
On a human level, anyone can sympathise with Mr. Noonan on making the discovery which as he says “a lot of people do”, a most frightening experience. He appears to have completed his treatment and moves into the future, hoping for the best. However, and it is a big however, I have personal knowledge of two friends now dead of cancer because their treatment was less than speedy, shall we say, and one friend who died on a waiting list for fairly routine cardiac surgery which would also have saved his life. This is in no way to suggest that Mr. Noonan is personally responsible for the death of my friends, nor am I suggesting that Mr. Noonan should not have received the treatment due to him. What I do query is why there are five separate articles on Mr. Noonan’s (hopefully cured) cancer, when there are so many others in the same boat, without any fanfare whatever.
bet he didt have to go on a waiting list to see speciaist or for op….wonder will he get a discretionary med card for his drugs……..then at 71 years of age informs us he will stand again for election nice work if you can get it the rest of us are forced to retire at 65 he can keep on working till he decides to finish and all the while collect ministers pensions and salary…
Minister Michael I wish you well. Once detected and treated you will be fine.
Many cancer patients survive for years!
We are all human!
Thank God!
I hope now he realises the fear people experience in these situations.Remember it well when he is drawing up the health budget.
Having sat with my son last year for radiation for his cancer I can say once you walk through their doors everyone is treated the same , money or not
Is one story not enough to do on noonan?? Why 3? It’s like a few mths ago, every feckin second story was about people being gay. Report news will yez? Not shite. I get more ‘actual’ news from scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed about things that ACTUALLY matter. Yes it’s awful he has cancer, so do 2 people I know, but guess what as sad as it all is LIFE GOES ON! Let him quit and concentrate on his health or are we gonna be getting a day by day update on his recovery? Anyways, even if he is an ass**** who took away peoples med cards I still wish him a speedy recovery! maybe he might realise how precious life is now and do some good! or even better f**k off out of government.
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