Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response.

This issue cannot be ignored. There is no doubt that cancer patients are receiving excellent medical care in our hospitals and more patients than ever are surviving cancer. I was very much aware of the excellent transport schemes provided by volunteers, but I was not aware of the Travel2Care scheme, and some of the organisations I have dealt with recently are not aware of it either, under which funding can be applied for to take patients from anywhere in the country to the hospitals listed by the Minister. Quite a number of organisations are not aware of the scheme and I was not aware of it. It would certainly alleviate a lot of difficulty. Two weeks ago, a group rang me to see whether I knew anybody coming from Dublin on a Wednesday night who could take a patient down, or anybody who might be travelling back to Sligo. That should not be happening.

People in the north-west have to go to Galway or sometimes Dublin for radiotherapy services. Technology is now in place which was not there ten years ago whereby radiotherapy services can be provided in outreach centres. Is the Government looking at that? I am talking about Sligo and the north-west, where people have to travel to either Galway or Dublin. I have discussed this with consultants who provide cancer treatment and the technology is there. Is the Government looking at this possibility to save people the hardship of having to travel all those miles?

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