Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

I wish to share my time with Senator John Paul Phelan.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Power, to the House.

I listened with interest to the Minister of State's speech. Whitfield private hospital will open in Waterford later this year. The company involved, UPMC Cancer Centres from Pittsburgh, is anxious that all patients who require treatments such as radiotherapy will have access to this facility, irrespective of whether they are public or private patients. This health care organisation is investing in Waterford and the south-east region, yet it seems to be coming up against a brick wall in dealing with the HSE and the Department as it tries to plan its services.

If public patients are to be treated, UPMC needs to know now so that it can put a second linear accelerator in place when the facility opens later this year. The appalling prospect currently looms of private patients going to the top of the queue for treatment at Whitfield, while public patients continue to join the bus and ambulance queues for the horrendous journeys to Dublin and Cork. This reduces their quality of life and impacts on their chances of responding well to treatment. A voluntary organisation has spent thousands of euro to provide people with proper transport to Dublin. The country is awash with money and it is a shame to see those poor people having to travel to Dublin for this therapy.

There is talk about developing another hospital under a public private partnership on the grounds of Waterford Regional Hospital that would also provide radiotherapy services. The Government seems to be in favour of such facilities one minute yet reviews the situation the next minute. All patients in the south east must have proper access to radiotherapy as a matter of urgency.

The Minister of State mentioned that BreastCheck has been rolled out everywhere, including the south east. It has certainly not been rolled out in Waterford, which is a cause of great concern to the women of Waterford and its hinterland. I am disappointed that the long-awaited cancer strategy does not have a comprehensive implementation plan with costings, a detailed breakdown of funding and an indication of the location of the new cancer networks and cancer care centres.

There is no doubt that the National Cancer Forum put much work into this strategy, for which it must be complimented. Given the serious concerns recently expressed about breast and cervical screening, why was the Tánaiste not in a position to deliver a detailed and comprehensive cancer care plan for the launch of the national cancer strategy?

It is imperative that we act on this plan. We believe that centres of excellence are necessary, as are satellite centres. Difficulties encountered by the Department and the HSE must be overcome in the interests of patients, be they privately insured or holders of medical cards.