Mr. Liam Woods:

Yes. The processes in place allow us, in terms of financial and services analysis, to identify current activity and the associated resources. Part of the role of the office will be to become aware of that and to protect that within the national network. It will consider the relative resourcing, which is what the national cancer control programme or NCCP does. Normally, it would be known through service provision.

I should have touched on the references to the NTPF and, maybe more fundamentally, they dealt with providing adequate volumes of service to meet the service need. Clearly, we understand the point that says to build sufficient services to deliver over time in a structured way. That is where we want to be. The NTPF can help in the short-term to deliver services if there is a difficulty in doing so within the public space. The NTPF is not the HSE and I ask members to be aware that I do not speak for the NTPF.

Reference has been made to the possible use of other facilities. During the past two years, specifically last year, we have considered optimising investment within the HSE in whatever facilities are available to undertake or work off the waiting lists and put that resource into public hospitals. My brief would be to optimise that because one has the continuity of care, which was the point that was made, and it also tends to be good value and a good use of public funds.