Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)

Tááthas orm seans a fháil cúpla focal a rá sa díospóireacht tábhachtach seo ar an gcáinfhaisnéis.

Yesterday's budget was a grave disappointment for those of us concerned about the development of cancer care. One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer and one in four people will die from cancer. In view of these facts, I asked the Tánaiste just over a month ago to outline the priority in the cancer services area that she would seek to pursue in budget 2006. I received my answer yesterday when cancer services were not even mentioned. The provision of radiotherapy services at Waterford Regional Hospital for the south-east region is a matter of great concern to the people of that region, including the people of Waterford. The Tánaiste announced last July that the Government's plan for a national network of radiation oncology services will be pursued by means of a public-private partnership. Under the plan, WRH will have an integrated satellite unit as part of the network. Most of the capital investment necessary to develop the unit will be drawn from the public-private partnership aspect of the network. The Tánaiste told me earlier this month, in response to a written parliamentary question that the necessary preparatory work is being done by the National Development Finance Agency and the Health Service Executive. Yesterday's budget added significantly to my increasing concern that nothing is really happening and that the Tánaiste's statement of last July amounts to a political stunt to get the Progressive Democrats-Fianna Fáil Government through the next general election. I challenge the Tánaiste to give the House a full progress report on what is really happening to the integrated satellite centre at WRH.

For many years, Fianna Fáil has prided itself on its aspirations of reuniting the country and restoring the Irish language. It was appalling, therefore, that there was not a single word of Irish in the Minister for Finance's speech yesterday.

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