Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I am glad of this opportunity to advise the House on the very positive outcome of my meeting last Tuesday with the Minister for Health for Northern Ireland, Mr. Shaun Woodward, MP. We agreed that the new Belfast Cancer Centre, which is to open next March, will treat patients from County Donegal. Details of the arrangements will be finalised in discussions involving the Health Service Executive, Belfast City Hospital and our respective Departments. This will involve assessment of the specific radiotherapy needs of the different cancer patients in County Donegal and the development of clinical treatment protocols, including appropriate transport arrangements, to ensure best patient care. Discussions will also be necessary on the funding arrangements involving the hospital and the HSE.

This initiative is a further and practical example of North-South co-operation on health and will be of significant benefit to patients who will be treated at what I consider to be one of the best facilities in Europe. This agreement also progresses the Government's plan on radiotherapy which I announced last July. Both the Minister, Mr. Woodward, and I are committed to developing additional co-operative initiatives for the benefit of our respective health services.

On access for cancer patients in other Border counties, we need to ensure that access by County Donegal patients to the Belfast service is working effectively and is properly grounded in effective clinical referral protocols involving the relevant clinicians both North and South. This is essential before I could realistically consider the question of additional access.

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