Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will certainly raise these points with the Saolta group and will revert to the Deputy directly on them. He makes a fair point on patients travelling to Galway when, as he knows, part of the agreement on establishing a satellite unit was that it was not just meant to be patients travelling to Galway but consultants travelling to Letterkenny. This is a point I took up with the Saolta hospital group and the national cancer control programme when it was brought to my attention by cancer support groups and Oireachtas Members in Donegal. It is absolutely essential that Saolta continues to manage the satellite service at Letterkenny University Hospital and ensures consultants from Galway travel to Letterkenny. For one consultant to travel to Letterkenny to see patients rather than a number of patients having to travel to Galway was the concept behind having the satellite unit. There are certain issues for which the patient would remain in Letterkenny and the doctor would go to see them but for other issues the patient would obviously need to go to Galway. This debate has been long had. We need to see a greater direction of travel in terms of consultants travelling to Letterkenny. There has been some concern expressed by groups on it. I will revert to the Deputy further on the issues.

See this speech in context