John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

As the Minister, Deputy Harney, cannot be here this evening, I will reply to the Deputy's matter.

I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the issue of cancer services in Galway. Contrary to some recent claims, I can assure Deputies that the viability of University Hospital Galway as a designated cancer centre under the national cancer control programme will not be affected by the financial issues it is addressing. I am happy to inform the House of several significant improvements made to cancer services at the hospital which will help equip it for its role as a designated centre.

Under the programme, there are four managed cancer control networks and eight cancer centres. The designation of cancer centres aims to ensure that patients receive the highest quality care while allowing local access to services, where appropriate. The HSE has designated University Hospital Galway and the Mid-West Regional Hospital Limerick as the two cancer centres in the managed cancer control network for the HSE west region. In particular, University Hospital Galway is the designated cancer centre for the north west. Since Professor Tom Keane took up his post as interim director of the national cancer control programme, enormous progress has been made in reorganisation and development of cancer services and in University Hospital Galway some significant developments have been made.

Deputies will be aware that the reorganisation of breast cancer services has been the first task of the national cancer control programme. In this context the symptomatic breast cancer service at University Hospital Galway has been greatly enhanced with significant additional resources provided. Funding was provided by the national cancer control programme in 2008 for additional staff to support the expansion of this service. Once-off funding of €403,000 was provided for equipment in 2008 while in 2009 funding of €863,000 was provided for operating costs. Additional pathology equipment was funded to support the breast cancer services as well as theatre equipping at a cost of €l million. This service is now located in a purpose-built premises on the University Hospital Galway campus. There are eight examination suites in the clinical area and each has access to digital radiology and laboratory results. There is a separate radiology area with its own waiting room and changing facilities and this is equipped with a fully digital mammography suite and state-of the-art ultrasound machines. Both the clinical and radiology areas are equipped for biopsy procedures under local anaesthetic. The breast care nurse team has a custom-designed facility which includes counselling rooms with video facilities and light refreshments.

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