Michael Finucane (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and am pleased to raise this issue because on many occasions in this House I looked for a radiotherapy unit to be set up in Limerick. I was therefore delighted that the unit opened in Limerick Regional Hospital on 27 October.

In the past, patients in need of radiotherapy had to travel long distances, especially to Dublin, for treatment. This created a great deal of inconvenience for patients and their families. It is to be welcomed that up to 95% of all those in the area in need of radiotherapy treatment for cancer can be treated at the new unit which is to be operated by the Mater Private Hospital. There will be occasions when specialist radiotherapy treatment will be required at other locations outside Limerick. The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, recently announced that a radiotherapy unit would operate as a satellite of the existing radiotherapy unit in Galway. There have been strong traditional links with Dublin and it would be necessary to retain those links along with Galway for the widest possible expertise to be available.

The mid-west owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Mid-Western Hospitals Development Trust for providing funding of up to €8.5 million to complete the radiotherapy unit. It has also promised to open the unit to public and private patients. We are fortunate to have the expertise of the staffing resource provided by the Mater Hospital. The Department of Health and Children should now clarify that it will be providing the funding to compensate the Mid-Western Hospital Trust for the private patients.