John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

For a number of years I have considered the question of supporting best practice and what is best for the patient. When the former Minister for Health, Deputy Noonan, selected the hospital in the next county to me in Tullamore for the national cancer strategy, as opposed to my hospital I, along with four councillors in Laois, were the only people to support the next county. Therefore, I do not need a lecture in courage or doing the right thing.

When we debated this issue, one would imagine that all of the health professionals were opposed to the Government proposals. Yet, I read about the support for Professor Tom Keane and Professor Donal Hollywood, whom we hold up to be some of the most reputable experts in the area of cancer treatment and who support the Government's proposals. The Friends of St. Luke's Hospital are due to meet the Minister on 9 July. I would have thought it would have some input into what future it holds for the hospital.

I am not interested in where I will be in three or four years' time; I am discussing the current health strategy as best practice. I have to take issue with comparing the KGB and the HSE. I am not sure how often Deputy Quinn attended the meetings in this House in the audiovisual room held by the HSE. It came in on many occasions but the meetings were disbanded because so few Deputies attended them. I see no connection whatsoever between the KGB and the HSE. In fact, I fully support what the HSE is doing.

The HSE was set up to try to bring unity of purpose to the delivery of health services, which is what we support. We want to see it happen and I see it happening in the national cancer strategy. Some have been selective in suggesting that I support the amendments which ignored the national cancer strategy proposals for best practice. I do not see the connection and that is why I fully support the Minister. I also support everything she has done in terms of the national cancer strategy.

On the commitments made by the Minister, no Member of this House can single out any commitments she made over the years upon which she has reneged. The issue of the sale of St. Luke's Hospital was the Deputy's main point. There is no intention to sell it off, a point which has been made clear by the Minister on Committee Stage and previously. It could not be sold in future without the permission of the Minister for Health, regardless of who that will be. Therefore, I do not see how it can be an issue for the Minister.

To return to amendments Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, it is important to reiterate what the Minister said on Committee Stage and subsequently. As we know, radiotherapy services will continue at St. Luke's Hospital until 2014. The Minister stated on Second and, I understand, Committee Stages that it is her intention that the site will continue to be used for healthcare purposes in the future. I can understand the media coverage is showing some concerns about the future use of the land and buildings of St. Luke's Hospital. There are concerns that there may be an intention to sell off the site.

In response to the amendment tabled by Deputies Reilly and O'Sullivan, the Minister reiterated on Committee Stage that it is her intention that St. Luke's Hospital should continue to be used for healthcare purposes after 2014. It is built into the Bill and will be considered when radiotherapy services cease at the hospital. On amendment no. 1 tabled by Deputy Reilly, it is the Minister's view that it is not an appropriate way to address the concerns that have been raised or to provide any guarantees about the future uses of the hospital. It would lead to an unwieldy decision making process that will not provide any certainty about the future of St. Luke's Hospital.

On amendment No. 3, the Minister does not consider it appropriate that the use of the site should be restricted to a specific aspect of healthcare, such as cancer care, as is proposed. Therefore, it is not proposed to accept amendment No. 1 or amendment No. 3. I refer to Committee Stage and Second Stage in the Dáil, on which the Minister was clear that her intention was that the site should be used for any purposes other than the provision of health services. In this regard, the board of the hospital, in conjunction with the Friends of St. Luke's hospital, has commissioned a report on the best use of the facility and until that is received and there is an opportunity to engage with the various parties involved, the Minister does not wish to be prescriptive on this Bill.

On Committee Stage the Minister stated that she would reflect on the concerns raised about the use of St. Luke's Hospital site for public health facilities before Report Stage. Accordingly, I propose that amendment No. 2 is accepted by Deputies. The Minister believes the amendment will address the concerns the Deputies have expressed on the future use of St. Luke's Hospital after 2014 when radiotherapy services cease.

Section 6 addresses concerns about the future use of the site by explicitly requiring the consent of the Minster for any disposal of the land. However, the Minister acknowledges the concerns which remain and proposes this amendment to bring certainty and clarity to the position. As a result of this amendment the Bill will explicitly provide that the hospital site will be used by the HSE for the purposes of providing health and personal social services in line with the Health Act 2004. I ask Deputies to support the amendment.

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