Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The budget for this year was for a 3% increase in hospital allocations. Hospital managers are expected to manage affairs in the hospitals for which they have responsibility, based on those figures. I fully expect that the request of the four chief executives for constructive engagement with hospitals in the determination of the HSE plan to be presented to the Minister will be granted. That is a fair request. If they were to write their letters any other way, one would say everything was to their satisfaction.

The chief executive of Crumlin Hospital has confirmed that there are no extraordinary delays for children accessing cancer services. I fully support the progress that has been made in delivering cancer services for patients who suffer from this ailment, one that has affected every family in the country in the past number of years. I have personal evidence of this, from within family and outside of it. Many people have said to me that the structure brought about, in terms of cancer services and specialist units, is the way to go and that people would never go back to a situation where services were provided here, there and everywhere without a focus on the issues presented.

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