Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

We did not interrupt once when Senator Fitzgerald was speaking. I would like some respect. We get this all the time in the House. It is a different matter on the Order of Business when people shout back and forth but when Members make statements, and this is for the benefit of newcomers, they are allowed to contribute. The Senator can contribute after me.

We must not lose sight of the fact that regarding early detection of cancer and cancer survival rates, we are among the lowest in the developed world. I welcome the Minister's comment earlier that we are placed a little higher than we were previously in the OECD report of last week. That is a start and it is welcome. I hope we will develop along those lines because we should hang our heads in shame in respect of the current statistics. There is nothing to be proud of in that regard. We are starting from a very low base. I said in the House three weeks ago that I support the centres of excellence. I am not afraid to say that. I have every confidence in the team that gave us the cancer strategy under Professor Niall O'Higgins. I am delighted that is the way forward. We are the lay people, the patients and the users of the services and we must put our trust in those who have gone abroad and witnessed best practice.

I am delighted also that Professor Tom Keane took up his position yesterday. I read a lovely review of him in The Sunday Business Post last Sunday. I smiled and wondered if the Minister ever took time out because the review — I am not sure if the Minister read it — referred to a dinner in Canada she attended with some of her officials from the Department of Health and Children. During the dinner she was observed gently nudging Professor Keane with her elbow and asking him if he would consider coming home to take up a position. I take my hat off to the Minister. She is a great woman to be able to persuade those type of people to come back to this country.

Professor Keane is being held up as a messiah. In an article, he was called "Medical Messiah". There is a notion that he will deliver results overnight, but he must be afforded the time and space to drive the strategy forward. It is important that the users of health services should remember that this is a process, not an event and our expectations must be tempered. Professor Keane is a physician, not a magician. We should allow him the time and space to get on with his job, but Senators will be looking for his head in 12 months or 13 months in the same way as the Opposition is looking for heads in respect of the HSE.