John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)

Sligo General Hospital serves a catchment population of 250,000. Information has come to light showing that University College Hospital Galway has inadequate facilities to deal with the overflow from Sligo. I ask the Minister to reconsider the position given that the facility being closed in Sligo General Hospital is being duplicated in Letterkenny General Hospital. The decision has created difficulties and had a negative impact.

I ask the Minister to reconsider the position in light of the palliative care, haematology services and medical care available at Sligo General Hospital, as well as the 4,000 mammograms carried out at the hospital each year, its catchment population of 250,000 and the information secured under freedom of information legislation last week - information that was concealed - which clearly indicates that the Galway centre of excellence was not in a position to proceed with the transfer of services from Sligo.

The Minister indicated that two beds would be available at University College Hospital Galway for cancer patients from the catchment area of Sligo General Hospital. We have discovered that only one bed is available for this catchment population of 250,000. Is this not an indictment of a failed policy?

Professor Keane who introduced the cancer control policy has left his post. Accreditation was given to Sligo General Hospital and it was placed on a par with the best hospitals in the United States. The HSE is closing down its cancer care facilities and recreating them at Letterkenny General Hospital. Will the Minister reconsider the position in this regard? The matter will not go away and if Fine Gael is in government the service will be reinstated at Sligo General Hospital in the shortest possible timeframe.

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