Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I had a very good meeting with the Minister for Health in Northern Ireland, Mr. McGimpsey, and will meet him again next week in the North-South Ministerial Council. The only centre of excellence in Northern Ireland is in Belfast. They did what we are doing here ten years ago. They intend to locate another centre on the western side of Northern Ireland as a satellite of Belfast, which would be very beneficial for Donegal patients. We have offered to work together either on the capital cost of that or in procuring services from each other. I want to see that happen as quickly as possible because real issues of peripherality arise as far as Donegal is concerned.