Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

I would like to be clear on cancer policy . Despite what some people are saying, this is not about politics. Deputy O'Sullivan has stated publicly, as Deputy McManus did when she was our health spokesperson, that the Labour Party supports the cancer strategy and the centres of excellence. The provision of an additional centre in the north west should be debated and discussed. The problem we have with the cancer strategy is that it is not being implemented. There is no budget or timetable for it. The approach being adopted involves the closure of local facilities before centres of excellence are put in place. In the script circulated by Deputy Ned O'Keeffe, which I understand he was not allowed to deliver here tonight——

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