Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

Second, I was speaking in defence of the HSE, not in my defence. These issues in the report are there from 2003. They are not to do with anything I said.

I do not accept Deputy Gilmore's position. This was a report into problems in Portlaoise. I have no doubt people in Portlaoise were doing their best but this is the judgment given in the reports that came out. It is not a question of blaming anybody. If the Deputy was listening to my reply, he would know it was a question of what we have been trying to do and what support we are giving to Professor Keane to make sure we improve the services.

This matter involved several hundred people. Some 22,000 people are diagnosed with cancer annually, predominantly older people, with 60% aged over 65 years. Approximately 96,000 inpatients and day-patients are discharged from hospital every year following a diagnosis of cancer, which is an increase of 75% in the success rate in the past ten years. More than 60,000 people were treated as day cases in 2006, an increase of 140% over 1997. There was additional revenue of €20 million in the Estimates for 2007. Patients in this country are benefiting from the development of a clinical trials network nationally. In the past few years the Health Research Board has invested a huge amount of resources, which includes major investment in the implementation of the cancer strategy.

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