Colorectal cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in men and women in this country. During the time period 2002 to 2005, an average of 2,040 new cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed each year. During the same time period, an average of 925 people died each year from the disease.

In June 2009, the Minister for Health and Children requested the Authority to:

• undertake an evaluation of the resources assigned to the current national population-based cancer screening programmes by the National Cancer Screening Service to identify efficiencies that may be achieved within the present models
• evaluate colonoscopy services and resources within the Health Service Executive (HSE) to examine how they could be used, or built upon.

The purpose of the evaluation was to assess the feasibility of commencing a national colorectal cancer screening programme from within existing resources.