Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

The Senator's point on simplifying hospital dealings with the public is valid and not just in the case of her friend who is deaf. There are many foreigners living in Ireland who do not speak English. I recall a Chinese woman in Tallaght Hospital who was able to have direct communication only through her daughter because she had not a word of English. When I visited the children's hospital in Chicago, one item that attracted me was the use of children's cartoon figures to direct children to different services. It was simple on one level but it worked for children. In Vancouver, the cancer service facility we visited had a fantastic roof garden for patients. These are the types of services that must be incorporated in our new facilities. We are moving to fewer beds in wards. The hospital of the future will probably have mainly single rooms. The new national children's hospital, for example, will have single rooms with parent accommodation. These are the standards to which we are moving. No doubt, by the time we get there, there will be a new standard.

Dr. Courtney is not a surgeon but a gastroenterologist and will not be moving to Waterford Regional Hospital. There are approximately 20 patients there. The data from the local hospital and the report for funding are different but Kilkenny has relatively few breast cancer patients. The idea is that they will attend Waterford and some Waterford activity will move to Kilkenny. Kilkenny is one of our best hospitals. It is run extraordinarily well with a great spirit. Everyone works together with no little camps. They work well with their GPs and primary care providers. It is a model that has always impressed me. Dr. Courtney is one of the main drivers of change there. Sometimes it takes only one person to make a place function.

I cannot inform Members on the roll-out dates for BreastCheck for individual counties because I have told BreastCheck, part of the National Cancer Screening Service, that it must not be a political decision. This year, it has been rolled out in counties Roscommon, Galway and Cork. The remaining nine counties will be rolled out in the next 18 months. Without divulging budget secrets, funding is available for the continued roll-out of breast cancer screening, as well as cervical cancer screening. With changing demographics and the increasing cancer rate in the population, far more than 23 medical oncologists will be needed. While I do not know the exact figure, of the additional 2,000 consultants to be hired, a large number will be for cancer services.

We have expended €1 billion more on cancer services since 1997. The National Hospitals Office is examining the total spend on cancer services as it is difficult to differentiate between general and cancer surgery as they are sometimes combined. When the figures are ascertained, Professor Keane will have control of the cancer services budget. As Members are aware, if you cannot control the money, you are not going to make anything happen.