Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)

We do not have centres of excellence in many places; we have centres of waiting lists. Today, the Irish Cancer Society said that we have centres of bare adequacy. Those are the words it used. The Taoiseach mentioned extra resources but these do not keep up with inflation, with population increases or with the ageing population of the country and, in many areas of the HSE, they are not getting to the front line. They are getting caught up. We also do not have the necessary staff. We in Aontú found out that 13,000 nurses have left this country in the past five years. That is an incredible figure. In some years, the majority of graduating doctors leave the country. Thankfully, cancer survival rates are increasing but that is in large part because there are better medicines, better technology and improved treatments and not necessarily because of the extra services the Government is providing throughout the country. Will the Taoiseach deal with the facts? The facts are stark. The Irish Cancer Society said today that there is a geographic determinant in relation to whether people get the treatment they need on time. Waiting lists in certain counties are five or six times the targets.

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