Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

——in the Irish health services and the communities they serve.

People should be very clear on the position being taken by Government and Government-supporting Deputies in the vote this evening. There is nowhere for them to hide. If they vote for the Government amendment they are voting for the total centralisation of cancer services and the ending of services at Sligo, Mayo and the Dóchas centre in Drogheda. That is effectively what they will be doing.

They are voting for eight centres which will be overburdened and which will not provide comprehensive coverage across the country. I appeal to those Government and Government-supporting Deputies to make a stand tonight and especially to those in the regions north of the Dublin-Galway line which are so badly served by this plan if it proceeds. I ask them to listen to their communities and the frontline health care workers in their areas. We should remember that each of us, as a Dáil Deputy, is a messenger of the people. We have no monopoly on wisdom in respect of these matters. We have no right to dictate to those who trusted their votes in us. We have no right to act against the interests of the communities we are elected to serve. A truly all-Ireland regionally based cancer treatment service is needed. I commend such an approach to the Government, even at this late hour.

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