Richard Boyd Barrett, a People Before Profit TD for Dún Laoghaire in Dublin, announced today, Monday, April 7, that he is stepping back from politics for a period as he receives treatment for throat cancer.
“I recently received a cancer diagnosis and I am about to begin a treatment programme," Boyd Barrett said in a statement on Monday.
"I have been advised by my doctors to take a complete break to focus on my treatment and recovery.
"I will therefore take an extended period of leave starting later this week."
He continued: "The consituency operation in Dún Laoghaire will continue. Bríd Smith will be helping to run the constituency work in my absence and I want to thank her and the constituency team for their support.
"I’m disappointed to have to step back from my work during this time, but I look forward to getting back as soon as possible to representing my constituents and campaigning on housing; to ensure that ordinary people are not made to pay for Trump’s tariff wars; to defend our neutrality; for the people of Gaza; and all the other issues that are central to my political life.
“I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank all the health workers who have been looking after me so well.
"I am relying entirely on the public health care system and I hope that the Government will fulfill their commitment to resource and staff our public health service so the health workers can look after us all the way that they want to do.”
People Before Profit said: “Richard's commitment to People Before Profit and the fight for a better world is hard to match.
"We are sure very many people will be wishing him a speedy recovery. The party stands behind Richard as he takes time to prioritise his health and we look forward to welcoming him back soon!”
"Throw everything at this"
Boyd Barrett spoke about his cancer diagnosis on RTÉ Radio's Today with Claire Byrne program on Monday, saying he will be entering a "fairly intense period of cancer treatment" which will likely last a few months.
He said people who elected him "deserve to know" why he won't be around.
He added: "I just want to stress, I plan to be back as soon as possible, but I need to throw everything at this."
Boyd Barrett said he noticed a swelling in his neck while he was shaving at the end of October during the election campaign.
He explained that doctors told him the throat cancer was likely induced by the HPV virus.
"I don't know if people know - I didn't know that much about it - but apparently 70 or 80% of the population have [the HPV virus]," he said.
"It can be sitting in your system for 20 years. The doctor said 'you probably picked this up years ago.' And then it can just activate - because of age, because of stress, because of your immune system being down."
Boyd Barrett noted that there is now an HPV vaccination program in Ireland, though that wasn't available when he was in his youth.
He went on to say that because his cancer is virus-induced, it - according to his doctors - does improve chances of recovery.
"The doctors have said it is very curable," Boyd Barrett said, adding: "So I have a good chance.
"It's been caught relatively early because it was in my tonsil, it's gone to my lymph nodes, but no further.
"So I have to get radio and chemotherapy and they say the chances of that working are about eight to nine out of ten, which is good, but obviously, you could be unlucky."
"You have to throw everything at it," he said, adding, "Apparently, the treatment is fairly rough. After a few weeks, it gets pretty rough."
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