James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I move:

That Dáil Éireann, noting:

the announcement of a national cancer strategy;

the proposal to develop eight centres of excellence at various locations around the country;

the intention to provide every patient with the best medical care and clinical attention;

the absence of a centre of excellence north of a line from Dublin to Galway and conscious specifically of the geographical challenge and population distribution of the west-north-west region; and

the proposed closures at University College Hospital, Galway, where the centre of excellence is to be located, for the month of August this year due to severe budgetary constraints;

calls on the Government to:

proceed immediately with the provision of centres of excellence, based on an adequate and ring-fenced budget;

proceed immediately with the provision of a satellite unit at Letterkenny General Hospital and under the responsibility of the Galway centre of excellence;

retain existing safe, high quality cancer services as at Mayo General Hospital and Sligo General Hospital as satellite units under the responsibility of the Galway centre of excellence;

ensure that all centres of excellence and satellite units are the subject of an annual HIQA audit; and

continue to work closely with the authorities in Northern Ireland on the development of cancer services.

I propose to share time with Deputies O'Mahony and Jan O'Sullivan.

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