Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)

I also welcome the opportunity to say a few words on the Bill, the purpose of which is to provide for the dissolution of St. Luke's Hospital board and the transfer of its employees, assets and liabilities to the Health Service Executive. Normally, any measure or legislation that improves cancer treatment services is welcome. Nevertheless, I have mixed views on the Bill because it foresees the closure of St. Luke's Hospital, which has provided excellent cancer treatment for numerous patients over the years.

Deputy O'Connor referred to Donegal. I visited St. Luke's Hospital long before I became a Member of the House. More than 40 years ago, as a young teacher in Dublin, I used to visit neighbours who were patients at the hospital. People from my parish and county are receiving the excellent treatment we have come to expect from the excellent facilities in the hospital. I have seen that hospital develop through the years. When we went there way back in the 1960s it was just like a country mansion. There has been much development with new wards and facilities upgraded to turn it into a model hospital. Attached to the hospital is the excellent hostel provided by the Friends of St. Luke's Hospital. Patients who do not need constant care and attention, and are not confined to bed and are only there for the radium treatment have the facilities of the lodge there. It is just like a four or five-star hotel. Patients have their own private rooms and kitchen facilities. Facilities allowing members of the family to stay are also provided. St. Luke's Hospital has provided excellent treatment and facilities for patients through the years. I often notice the number of people from my county who make a choice to come to St. Luke's Hospital instead of going to alternative venues.

The national cancer strategy was launched a number of years ago by the then Minister for Health, Deputy Noonan. The latest instalment of the strategy is the eight centres of excellence, with three in Dublin. What is significant about that strategy is that north of a line from Dublin to Galway there is no centre of excellence, which means people from the Ulster counties of Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal and other places to the north must go to Dublin or Galway. We felt left out at that time and a major campaign was mounted by the Letterkenny General Hospital, which provides cancer services. It has an excellent oncology unit and has a surgeon who treats breast cancer. It has a great reputation and has a top-class oncologist. The only progress to be made is that Letterkenny General Hospital needs to be recognised as a satellite unit to the major centre of excellence in Galway. That has not been fully developed or got off the ground yet.

The great controversy and disappointment in the north west is that the very good and worthy cancer treatment facilities in Sligo General Hospital are being phased out. People in the north west must go to Galway or St. Luke's Hospital in Dublin. There is a cross-Border dimension and people from the north west have the option of going to Belfast. That has not been fully developed and in time we expect to have radiation treatment available in a location nearer to Donegal than Belfast, Dublin or Galway. I understand talks are taking place between the Northern health authorities and our own to have something nearer home, perhaps in Letterkenny or Derry. We all look forward to that being achieved.

St. Luke's Hospital has a great history and as far as Donegal is concerned it is the hospital of choice. While we welcome the improvement in cancer treatment, nevertheless there is an element of sadness that such a facility that we have come to know and respect so well will be phased out in the next few years. I understand that by 2014 St. Luke's Hospital will not be operating as a cancer treatment hospital. I do not know what will replace it. If it is as good as St. Luke's Hospital, we will be happy enough.

Everyone is interested in the health service and everyone has his or her problems as far as the health service is concerned. I should avail of this opportunity to dwell on a number of problems in my constituency. There are developments in Letterkenny General Hospital. We are getting our new accident and emergency unit, which is at an advanced stage. I also understand that a number of wards are being provided to increase the inpatient facilities in the hospital and meet the demands for such facilities by the rising population in the county.

Last Sunday week, public representatives including Members of the Oireachtas attended a protest in Lifford. The people in Lifford and its catchment area are very concerned over the future of Lifford Community Hospital, which has been established for more than 200 years. I believe the first hospital opened in Lifford in 1775. It developed to provide health facilities for the people in its catchment area for 235 years. I visited Lifford Community Hospital on a few occasions recently and its facilities are very good. Today it provides residential care for people who need residential care at a community hospital. It also has a health centre. It is planned to build a primary health care centre in Lifford on a greenfield site, which is welcome.

However, we are concerned about what will happen to the residential part of the hospital. There are a number of options, the first of which is to make investment in it. It is an old building but could be upgraded. It is suitable for present day requirements for patients who need that sort of care and attention. The second option would be to provide a new facility along with the primary health care centre that is being built on a greenfield site. However, whatever happens, Lifford needs to be looked after. It is a large catchment area with no other equivalent facility nearby. It covers east Donegal and the Finn valley. I hope it will continue to provide the service it is providing. I make no apologies for mentioning Lifford Community Hospital in the context of cancer services. I know many people in the last stages of that serious illness find the care and attention they need and to which they are entitled is provided by Lifford Community Hospital. I had occasion to visit constituents whose time was limited and who were getting excellent care in that hospital.

The Health Service Executive has stated that a review is taking place. When I hear the word "review" in the context of such facilities, the bells begin to ring because a review often means phasing out. I hope that will not happen at Lifford Community Hospital.

There are two other hospitals in the south of my constituency in Ballyshannon and Bundoran, the Rock Hospital and the Sheil Hospital. There were question marks and a review there also. I believe the crisis has passed there and these facilities, at least the excellent Sheil Hospital which has a long history, will be allowed to continue to provide a service for the people of its catchment area.

Not alone do the patients from Donegal come to St. Luke's Hospital, but that hospital has always provided a consultant to go to Donegal twice a month to carry out a clinic, which saved people from Donegal having to go the long distance to Dublin for a consultation. One person in particular, Dr. Healy, used to come from St. Luke's Hospital. I believe he has retired. He was very well known throughout Donegal and was an excellent consultant. I understand someone is still continuing the tradition.

I suppose it is progress that we will have two centres of excellence in Dublin. The activities in St. Luke's Hospital will be transferred to Beaumont Hospital and St. James's Hospital. It is very sad to see St. Luke's Hospital going given all the ancillary facilities it has, including the lodge. It is in a beautiful location and is like Stephen's Green. It has lovely grounds and one would not know one was in the heart of the city. St. Luke's has been like a lung in the city of Dublin. I do not know what the future holds, but St. Luke's has served its purpose very well down through the years and we appreciate what it has achieved in that time. Hopefully, its replacement will be just as good. When the final plans are made, the needs of the north west must be looked after, whether that is in Letterkenny, Sligo or Derry, because it is a long journey to Dublin from Arranmore or Tory Island to Dublin. That journey takes a lot out of cancer patients travelling for treatment.

I will now allow my colleague, Deputy Seymour Crawford, the rest of my time.

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