OBJECTIVES: As cancer control strategies have become more successful, issues around survivorship have become increasingly important to researchers and policy makers.  The aim of this study was to examine the role of a range of clinical and socio-demographic variables in explaining variations in survival after prostate cancer diagnosis, paying particular attention to the role of healthcare provider(s) (i.e. private versus public) and socio-economic status. METHODS: Data were extracted from the National Cancer Registry Ireland, for patients diagnosed with prostate cancer from 1998-2009 (N=26,183).  A series of multivariate Cox and logistic regression models were used to examine the role of healthcare provider and socio-economic status (area-based deprivation) on survival, controlling for age, stage, Gleason grade, marital status and region.  Survival was based on all-cause mortality. RESULTS: Individuals who were treated in a private care setting were more likely to have survived than those who had not, when other factors were controlled for.  A socio-economic gradient was evident with respect to marital status, region of residence, clinical stage and Gleason grade. The effect of socio-economic status was modified by healthcare provider, such that risk of death was higher in those of lower socio-economic status for men treated by public, but not private, providers.  CONCLUSIONS: The role of healthcare provider (a proxy for voluntary private insurance) and socio-economic status in survival of men with prostate cancer may give rise to equity concerns regarding the operation of the Irish healthcare system and warrants further investigation.