Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion. Following a meeting of Oireachtas Members with the Minister for Health, Deputy Reilly, organised by Senator Henry and me, I welcome the Minister's commitment to the provision of a screening centre for colon cancer, will full colonoscopy services. Furthermore, the Minister has announced that a second oncologist will be appointed at Sligo General Hospital in the autumn. He has stated the matter of breast cancer surgery remains under review. Members will be aware that the previous Government put in place a national cancer strategy under the direction of Ms Susan O'Reilly, with whom the Minister must work hand in hand on this review.

During the general election I gave no commitment to a timeframe for the reinstatement of cancer services. It is my firm belief the Minister must be given the time and space to do his job. I am prepared to afford him that time and space. The original decision by the Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government not to select Sligo General Hospital as one of the centre of excellence cancer hospitals was catastrophic for people in the wider region. I have no intention of resigning my seat as the people of Sligo-North Leitrim democratically elected me. Since being elected to the House, I have worked hard on the issue of cancer services at Sligo General Hospital.

Following the decision by the last Government to remove breast surgery services from Sligo General Hospital, like many others, I joined the campaign to seek the return of these services and attended many meetings of protest in Sligo and Dublin. As a candidate in the last general election, I sought commitments from my party on this issue and gave no more assurances than I had received. As a member of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, I continue to lobby the Taoiseach and his team of Ministers, in particular the Minister for Health, on behalf of the people of Sligo-North Leitrim on issues of importance, including Sligo General Hospital, against the backdrop of the presence of IMF and European Union officials in this country.

I urge the Minister to work with Ms O'Reilly to explore all avenues to ensure full cancer care services are returned to Sligo General Hospital. The recent positive announcements made by the Minister which I restated are to be welcomed and illustrate that the Government is committed to Sligo General Hospital. There is still time to study the review together with the national cancer strategy. I urge the Minister to review the merits of having services based in Sligo and the past surgical success of Mr. Tim Hanrahan and his team at the hospital. The absence of a centre of excellence north of the line between Galway and Sligo is a tragic legacy of the last Government. The north-west region must not be forgotten when it comes to cancer care services. I will continue to work with the Save our Cancer Care Service committee to achieve our common goal, namely, the return of full cancer services to Sligo General Hospital.

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