Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. I know he is not the Minister for Health and is not in that Department. I have had correspondence and parliamentary questions going back and forward. I have a reply here from 24 June 2022 which is similar to what the Minister of State has read out this evening It mentions assessments, reviews and the like with veiled, shrouded language. I am asking straightforward questions. I appreciate that the Minister of State is not the Minister for Health, but could he get responses for me afterwards? Has an application been lodged for a Gallium scanner in Cork? It is a simple question. It is a yes-no question. If he gets that detail for me, I would appreciate it.

I listened to the Minister of State's response. It is true that we have made massive progress in the area of cancer treatment in this country over recent years. Cancer outcomes are a good deal better than they were historically. We still have a great deal of work to do in the area of breast cancer. That is one area where we are lagging behind.

I will return to the question of Gallium scans in Cork. The two extracts that I read set out two real-life experiences. The Minister of State mentioned that early intervention, effective diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important. However, I suggest that anybody waiting 12 or 18 months for one of these scans is not getting early intervention and is probably not getting a diagnosis early enough to help to combat that disease. I have asked three simple questions. If the Minister of State does not have the answers today, I would appreciate a follow-up response. Has there been an application for a scanner in Cork? If so, when will it be made available to the people?

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