Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to make a brief contribution to this important debate. I am glad that the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, is present. I believe she is here to listen to us, and she does listen. She comes to the Dáil to listen to Deputies. When the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, was Chairman of the Joint Committee on Health and Children, we had a number of important meetings with the Minister, Deputy Harney. I congratulate Deputy Moloney on being appointed as a Minister of State. While he will be a loss to the joint committee, I welcome his appointment. It is important that we acknowledge the efforts which have been made. Like other Deputies, I acknowledge the progress that has been made by Professor Tom Keane. I have met him on a number of occasions and I know he has a particular interest in what we are debating tonight, which is important.

I will be slightly parochial, like other speakers, by referring to excellent service being provided at Tallaght hospital. The Minister is familiar with my concerns in this regard. I remind the House that cancer care is part of the corporate hospital strategy that has been approved by the medical board and the hospital board. Tallaght is the third largest population centre in the country. Over 1,500 new cases of cancer were treated at Tallaght Hospital in 2006. I am told that this number is equivalent to the major Dublin teaching hospitals. The Tallaght figure is larger than the equivalent figure for many of the hospitals which have been nominated as cancer care providers. A full multidisciplinary team is present at Tallaght hospital to deal with all cancers. I ask the Minister, Deputy Harney, to note my interest in my local hospital, which is working on behalf of people in the Dublin region as well as in counties Kildare and Wicklow.

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