John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I apologise to Deputy Doherty for the absence of the Tánaiste. I welcome the opportunity to set out the current position in regard to the proposed radiotherapy centre at Altnagelvin and radiotherapy services nationally. On average, approximately 24,000 new cases of invasive cancer, including non-melanoma skin cancer, are diagnosed each year. Current trends indicate that the number of cancers diagnosed each year is likely to double in the next 20 years.

It is against this background that the HSE's national cancer control programme is being implemented. Its goals are better cancer prevention, detection and survival through a national service based on evidence and best practice. Part of the programme is the implementation of the national plan for radiation oncology, which was originally agreed by Government in July 2005. The plan is designed to provide the national infrastructure for radiation oncology for the next 25 years.

Phase 1 of the plan involves the construction of new facilities at Beaumont and St. James's hospitals, with four linear accelerators in each. These new centres were completed at the end of last year. The two facilities, together with St. Luke's Hospital in Rathgar, now form the St. Luke's radiation oncology network for Dublin-mid-Leinster and Dublin north-east. This will provide sufficient capacity to deal with patient needs until at least 2015. Phase 2 of the national plan for radiation oncology will provide additional radiation oncology capacity at St. James's and Beaumont hospitals, Cork University Hospital and Galway University Hospital, with satellite centres at Limerick regional and Waterford regional hospitals.

To deal with the specifics raised by Deputy Doherty, there are particular geographic concerns that need to be addressed for patients in the north west. For that reason, the Government also decided in July 2005 that the best option for improving geographic access to radiation oncology services for patients in the north west was through North-South co-operation. It was therefore decided to facilitate access to Belfast City Hospital for patients needing radiation oncology treatment. A service level agreement has been in place with Belfast City Hospital for the provision of radiation oncology services to patients from Donegal since 2006.

The Government also decided it would consider a joint venture between North and South for the provision of services from a satellite centre in the north west, linked to Belfast City Hospital. In 2008, Mr. Michael McGimpsey, Minister at the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland announced that a new satellite radiotherapy centre would be established at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry, linked to Belfast City Hospital, as part of Northern Ireland's plans for the provision of radiotherapy services beyond 2015. At that time, the former Minister, Deputy Harney, agreed to fully explore the opportunity presented for further collaboration in the delivery of those services.

The business case for the development at Altnagelvin has now been finalised and is under consideration by the Minister, Mr. McGimpsey. I am pleased to confirm that the Irish Government has committed to providing a significant capital contribution to the project. This contribution recognises the fact that approximately one third of the patients who will attend the Altnagelvin centre will be from Donegal and the surrounding areas. In addition, the national cancer control programme will contribute on an agreed basis to the operating costs in respect of patients from the Republic of Ireland who attend this service.

The Government is committed to working in partnership with colleagues in Northern Ireland on the development at Altnagelvin. The Department of Health and Children and the HSE have nominated representatives to the various sub-groups overseeing the development of this project. The discussion of patient pathways will include input from clinicians at Letterkenny General Hospital and St. Luke's Hospital who are currently involved in the delivery of radiotherapy services to patients in Letterkenny. The Government's financial contribution to the project was confirmed to the Minister, Mr. McGimpsey, in the past few weeks.

The Government is committed both to the radiotherapy centre at Altnagelvin and to the development of radiotherapy services nationally. Approximately half of cancer patients will require radiotherapy at some point in their illness and the aim is to ensure best outcomes for these patients regardless of location.

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