Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

A number of local and national issues arise in regard to this question. The Minister stated that so far 50 people have been treated. How many people will be treated in this private clinic next year when the public clinic is up and running? I presume the Minister is aware that the average number of patients receiving radiation within one month of diagnosis in the west is at 3% and this increases to only 19% within two months of diagnosis. It is important to know whether the executive will cut short its contract with the private clinic and treat patients only in the public facility in Galway.

I would also like the Minister to answer some questions on the radiation oncology report, otherwise known as the Hollywood report. Although it took four years for this report to be published, one of the central points in the report was that the Minister supported centralisation of radiotherapy services and did not believe that small units were safe. A small unit is now being used, although it is a private clinic.

Another problem is that the oncologists wrote a separate report. Their submission was never acknowledged, which is surprising. What is the Minister's position now? Is the Hollywood report being set aside and is the view of the oncologists coming to the fore? I have highlighted the issue regarding Galway. This is an extremely contentious issue in the south east and has been for the past three or four years while we awaited publication of the radiation oncology report.

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