Some 21,500 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the State this year and 8,000 people will die of the disease, according to the Irish Cancer Society.
The charity kicked off its annual Daffodil Campaign today in Dublin and said it had set a target of €3 million from the fundraiser. Daffodil Day takes place tomorrow.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was pictured with giant Macnas-style daffodil characters at St Stephen's Green in Dublin as he publicised the Daffodil Day appeal.
A total of €1.5 million of the funds raised through the sale of Irish Cancer Society daffodil emblems will be spent on the night-nursing service, which allows patients to remain at home with the support of a night nurse when they are in the terminal stage of their illness.
Some €850,000 will be used to pay for 20 hospital-based cancer-liaison nurses in major cancer treatment hospitals across the country.
A further €1 million will be allocated to cancer homecare teams. The rest of the funds will go to the National Cancer Helpline, staffed by nurses trained in cancer care, toward bursaries for nurses and toward education for hospital and community nurses.
The Irish Cancer Society urged the public to support tomorrow's campaign.
The National Cancer Helpline can be contacted at 1800-200700.