The Irish Cancer Society has welcomed the publication of the Government's strategy for cancer control.
Under the strategy, cancer treatment services will be centralised in eight national centres of excellence.
It also calls for national screening programmes for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer.
The head of the HSE, Professor Brendan Drumm, said the executive now had an unprecedented opportunity to 'build a truly world class cancer control service'.
He said it would provide a service that 'improves the outcomes for patients and is equitable and accessible to every citizen'.
Details of the programme will be outlined in the coming weeks.
Legislation will also be introduced to outlaw the use of sunbeds for people under the age of 16.
At the launch of the second National Cancer Strategy, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, said exposing children to ultraviolet rays from sunbeds puts them at greater risk of skin cancer in later life.
Health experts predict that cancer rates will more than double in the next ten years.
