Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

There will be a significant increase in the number of patients requiring treatment for cancer in the south. Does the Tánaiste consider it medically safe that there is only one permanent oncologist in Cork University Hospital and that there is no dedicated medical oncology ward in this hospital, which is providing cancer services in not only the second largest city in Ireland but in the whole of the south? There is no BreastCheck service and no development on the BreastCheck programme in Cork. The Tánaiste is aware of the international trading centre site. I believe there is also a problem in regard to what Hanly had promoted in his report.

There is a move to centralise much of the cancer treatment services in terms of breast cancer and other forms of cancer into the Cork University Hospital site, yet it currently has no dedicated oncology unit and only one permanent oncologist. The only reason chemotherapy is provided on time at present is that the staff are working flat out in the hospital. Is this medically safe? Is it the right way to proceed in an area with a large population where one would expect a higher level of expertise? Cork University Hospital provides a service in the southern part of the country not only to Cork and Kerry but also to Limerick, south Tipperary and Waterford. Patients from Wexford are even expected to travel to this hospital.

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