Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, the trend across the world when it comes to specialty services, such as complex cancer surgery or primary PCI, is to reduce the number of centres in order to have a smaller number of centres with a large number of staff able to sustain a 24-7 rota permanently, and a large patient load to achieve a certain level of standard. The Deputy mentions that there are two centres in Dublin. There were three centres. We went from three centres in Dublin down to two, and those two centres cover a population of probably 2 million people, all the way from the Border with Northern Ireland down to Kilkenny and north Wexford. It is roughly one centre per 1 million people. I appreciate that the Galway and Limerick centres cover a smaller population. Those are always the things that have to be borne in mind.

As I say, the first step to improving cardiac services in Waterford, which we want to do, is to build the second cath lab, which is long overdue. I understand the frustration in this regard. That will be under construction next year. It should be open and up and running the year after, and will allow us to extend the hours of that service, not only for Waterford but for the whole region.^ Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation^

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