Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Is the Taoiseach aware that there are nearly 600 whole-time staff members in the Department of Health and Children at a cost of €30 million a year? This is breast cancer awareness month. Breast cancer services at Ennis Hospital have been closed. The service in Galway has been reduced to three days a week. The closure of several hospital treatment units has been announced where little activity was taking place. There is no argument about that. The frenzy of closures is now spreading to places such as Drogheda, Sligo, Mayo General, Wexford and Kilkenny.

I have two simple questions. First, will the Taoiseach or the Minister for Health and Children give an assurance on the floor of this House that no service will be withdrawn from the five centres I mentioned until the centres of excellence are built, staffed and financed, and are in operation and in a position to supply a better service and quality of care for patients than we have now, and until it is proved that what the Government is now doing in closing down centres wholesale in a frenzy will not result in women in particular having to wait long periods for assessment, treatment and aftercare?

Second, the HSE is the Government's creature and implements Government policy. Can I take it that the policy of the Government is to treat all cancers in the same manner and that there will be no distinction between those receiving potentially curative care and those receiving palliative care? Yesterday, I listened to a senior executive of the HSE imply that there will be a distinction and that persons who are to receive potentially curative care will be treated in one place while those receiving palliative care will be treated elsewhere. Will the Taoiseach confirm that the Government's policy is to make no such distinction? Thousands of ward sisters all over the country who do a wonderful job with either category give of their best. I do not want to hear the HSE executives, the creatures of this Government, applying a determination that will split types of services for people afflicted with cancer.

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