Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

I recognise the work done by volunteer groups like Arklow Cancer Support and the support they give to cancer patients travelling for blood tests, infusion services and so on. The HSE is not a land development or transport company. I recognise there are many different groups providing an enormous service to cancer patients, some with some measure of State support and others not. While the HSE will never be a transport company, I have met Volunteer Ireland to ask it to compile a list of all the different volunteer groups who provide transport services for health patients, cancer patients or in the disability space - many overlap and intercept. When I have that complete list, I will sit with the Minister for rural affairs, Deputy Calleary, and in particular the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, who sits both in the Department of rural affairs and the Department of Transport. There is something we have not yet imagined in terms of rural support services and transport services. It is not the responsibility of the HSE. It should not really be. We cannot do high-quality cancer care and transport. That is not the role but there is something better, more imaginative and more co-ordinated that can be done. I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss it today.

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