John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Fahey for sharing time. I welcome the Bill. It affords me opportunity to speak on several issues relating to health. As Deputy Fahey stated, St. Luke's Hospital, which this Bill is about more or less, is very near and dear to all of us. We all have relatives attending St. Luke's Hospital from home. We visit there on a regular basis to see and visit constituents.

The changes envisaged under the Bill will help overall cancer services in the country. The cancer services in the eight centres are welcome. In this regard, people from Wexford generally go to Waterford. As the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will be aware, from a Wexford Hospital point of view we have been involved in services that have gone from Wexford to Waterford. We have fully supported some of the transfer of services from Wexford because we recognise that the centres of excellence are very important. However, we have no wish to see the downgrading of hospitals. We have been battling for some time in respect of Wexford Hospital on this reconfiguration trail. Some of the services in Wexford are very near and dear to the hearts of the people of Wexford and we hope they will not be transferred to Waterford or other hospitals but remain in Wexford.

I point out to the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, that recently we held a public meeting in Wexford which was attended by between 6,000 or 7,000 people, or perhaps more. That shows the grá for the hospital in Wexford not only in the town, but in County Wexford. One must take into account that Wexford stretches up to Arklow on the Wicklow border and if many of the services are transferred out of Wexford to Waterford it would be a long journey from the Wicklow border to Waterford for those affected.

The people of Wexford call for the maintenance of services such as the accident and emergency service on a 24 hour basis, which is very important to a country that already has a population of 140,000. If one includes the summer months, given that Wexford is a holiday county, the population is increased by a further 40,000 to 50,000 people. At certain times there may be approximately 200,000 people in Country Wexford. It is very important that the Minister of State takes the message to the Minister, Deputy Harney, and the HSE that we will not lightly accept any undermining of Wexford hospital. We will fight the battle to ensure we have adequate and proper services for the people of Wexford. We are united on a political front on this issue and it is very important that the HSE and the Minister for Health and Children listen to what we say. Wexford has the population to justify a hospital of high quality such as Wexford hospital in the area of cancer services.

In 1984 I had a bowel operation. I always pay tribute to the consultant who treated me. Dr. Paddy McKiernan, who is now retired, diagnosed the problem at the time. I had a substantial amount of the bowel removed but I am here to tell the tale. As I recall, there were five people in the ward at the time and I am the only one now alive. I was the eldest of the five. Detection of cancer ailments is very important. The new system of cancer services throughout the country in the eight centres is very welcome. As Deputy Fahey pointed out, the goals of the national cancer control programme are better cancer prevention, detection and survival through a national service based on evidence and best practice. Under the programme, there are four designated cancer control networks and eight cancer centres nationally, the transfer of all breast cancer diagnostic and surgical services to the eight cancer centres only plus an outreach service in Letterkenny and the establishment of rapid access clinics to enhance access to early diagnosis and multi-disciplinary decision-making for prostate and lung cancers, which are among the most common cancers in Irish people.

It is essential that we continue to send the message about the importance of getting prostate cancer check-ups. Men are not inclined to go for such check-ups as often as they should and as a result, it is often too late when they do. We all have friends and relations who have gone for early check-ups, have had prostate cancer detected, have been treated and are well and out and about again. It is important we send the message loud and clear that people should go immediately to their doctor if there is any sign of prostate problems so that it is diagnosed and they get the treatment required, which is very successful.

The St. Senan's action group from Enniscorthy had a meeting with the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, today. Enniscorthy is my home town and that of Deputy Paul Kehoe. A cross-party Oireachtas group has been encouraging the Minister of State to provide what was agreed a number of years ago with the then Minister of State, Tim O'Malley, which was that St. Senan's psychiatric hospital in Enniscorthy would close. We have no problem with that because for the past ten to 12 years the nursing staff, the administrative staff and the consultants have been providing outreach services throughout County Wexford for people in that old building which dates back to the 1800s.

We, in County Wexford, want an acute admissions unit, which was promised under A Vision for Change and which we expected to be delivered under it. In March 2010, it was revealed that this situation might be about to change and that the people who need acute services would have to go to Waterford. Waterford is not the centre of the universe for health services as far as I, other Members from Wexford or the St. Senan's action group are concerned. It is very important that the service is provided in the county, as promised. It is a long way from the Wicklow border to Waterford. The acute centre in Waterford caters for approximately 40 patients but we have 40 patients at any one time in County Wexford. There is no way Waterford will be able to provide the psychiatric services for the people of Wexford.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Moloney, for meeting the action group today. He listened very carefully to what we said. We are looking for nothing more or nothing less than what was promised in 2007 by the then Minister that an acute admissions unit would be provided in Wexford. The suggestion at that time was that it would be provided at Wexford General Hospital. If it must be located there, then so be it but we want that service provided in the county.

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