Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I too welcome the Minister of State to the House. I note the need for the Minister for Health and Children to provide an integrated cancer care service, including radiotherapy, at Waterford Regional Hospital as it now satisfies the critical mass criteria laid down in the Hollywood report, which was accepted by the Government. Less than a month ago, 15,000 people marched through the streets of Waterford demanding fair play and equity of access to radiotherapy services for the people of the south east.

The region is united in its quest for a totally integrated cancer care service at Waterford Regional Hospital. Government general election candidates, including a current Minister, promised this facility would be up and running within three years. The fact that this promise continues to be reneged on wreaked havoc on Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats candidates during the local elections. Fianna Fáil has just one representative out of 15 on Waterford City Council and the Progressive Democrats were wiped out completely. The story is the same on Waterford County Council where Fianna Fáil lost three seats and likewise in south Kilkenny and New Ross.

This is a major issue. The message must be clear by now that the people of the south east demand equity of access to radiotherapy services, similar to Dublin, Cork and Galway. The Hollywood report spoke of critical mass or population requirements to secure radiotherapy in a region. The population projections from the Central Statistics Office indicate an increase in population growth to approximately 418,000 by 2010 and 423,000 by 2015 in the south east region, which would justify two linear accelerators. The fact of the matter is that the south east currently has a population of 423,616 as per the 2002 census figures. The region already surpasses the criteria laid down in the report and accepted by the Government.

The Department appears hell bent on proceeding with the recommendations of the report. The people of the south east demand that, as we satisfy the requirements and conditions, immediate steps must be taken to plan for radiotherapy facilities at Waterford Regional Hospital to cater for all the people of the south east, including public and private patients. The red herring of a private hospital providing facilities has added to the frustration of the people in the region. The Minister is on record as being opposed to buying services for public patients from private operators. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Malley, and the Tánaiste are of a different view. The fact is that the Government is dithering on this matter while patients die in the south east.

I call on the Minister of State to give a clear and unequivocal statement that Waterford will be given the same equity of access to radiotherapy as Cork, Dublin and Galway and that, as the Minister said, funding will be concentrated and prioritised in the regions that satisfy the criteria laid down in the Hollywood report. Waterford cannot be forgotten if the Minister insists on implementing the provisions of the report. The ordinary decent and caring people of the south east will not allow the issue to go away. The bottom line is that Waterford must now be part of the national backbone which will create sufficient volume, machines and expertise in a multidisciplinary team as outlined in the Hollywood report.