Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Exactly. We are into the following day. I appreciate the Minister of State sticking around to take this matter. It relates to Cancer Connect, which is an extraordinary cancer support service in Cork, west Cork and extending into County Kerry. It offers a transport service for people availing of chemotherapy and radiotherapy services in Cork University Hospital, CUH, and Cork city. At the time I got these statistics together in June last year, 106 passengers per week were being brought to Cork city for cancer treatment by Cancer Connect, which is extraordinary. This was brought about by 300 volunteer drivers who do not take a penny to bring cancer sufferers to Cork city for their treatment. Salaries are involved for administration and management staff involved in delivering the service, but this is all paid for primarily by fundraising. An extraordinary fundraising effort is put in to get the finances together for this service.

I raised this issue with then Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, in June. He felt it could perhaps be funded through the national cancer strategy.

On that note, I contacted the then CEO of community healthcare organisation, CHO, 4, who confirmed he had made an application to the HSE service plan for specific funding for Cancer Connect.

We are now into April. From what I gather, the service plan has been announced, but we are looking for detail within it. Has Cancer Connect been successful in acquiring the much-needed funding? It is looking for a small sum, considering the service it provides, of about €100,000 to maintain the extraordinary services it provides for cancer sufferers in Cork and Kerry. I cannot overstate the importance of the service. Many would not have been able to avail of or get to their cancer treatment if it had not been for Cancer Connect. The support it has given to families is incredible. Families who had few or no options for transport for their cancer treatment have been able to avail of this 100% free service. We need to protect it and fund it, and the State needs to take a role in doing that. I hope the Minister of State will have some detail on what is contained within the service plan and on whether Cancer Connect has the funding it needs to maintain the service.

See this speech in context