Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all the words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following:

"—strongly endorses the National Strategy for Cancer Control in Ireland;

welcomes the HSE's National Cancer Control Programme and the designation of eight specialist centres;

notes that the Programme was developed on the basis of extensive international evidence which shows that cancer survival rates are greatly increased when patients are treated by teams of experts in dedicated centres that deal with a high volume of cases;

endorses the approach taken in the Programme that cancer survival must be the priority in treating patients;

notes that under the Programme patients will usually only require a single visit to the specialist centre for their initial diagnosis and a second visit for their surgery, and will continue, as at present, to receive follow-up chemotherapy treatment at their local hospital, such as Sligo General;

emphasises that the priority now is to implement the Programme fully and accordingly, supports the work of Professor Tom Keane of the HSE and his team of clinical leaders in so doing;

is satisfied that Professor Keane is making significant progress on the development of the designated centres and that adequate funding has been assigned for this purpose;

notes that the designated centres will be subject to regular audit;

welcomes the support of leading cancer specialists and non-Governmental organisations, including the Irish Cancer Society, the Marie Keating Foundation and Europa Donna in the development and implementation of the Programme;

notes that seasonal arrangements for the summer months at University College Hospital Galway do not impact on key specialties, including cancer specialties;

notes that on an exceptional basis arrangements have been made for the provision of breast cancer services at Letterkenny General Hospital, due to the unique geographical circumstances applying to Donegal; and

urges all concerned to work closely with the authorities in Northern Ireland on the development of cancer services serving the population in border counties."

I, too, welcome the Minister, Deputy Harney, and thank her for making herself so accessible to us in the Seanad.

The national cancer programme was rolled out last September. It was announced that there would be eight centres of excellence; four in Dublin and one each in Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway. It is not new to say that the people of the north west, especially Sligo where I live, were most disappointed that Sligo General Hospital was not on the list. Together with my Fianna Fáil Oireachtas colleagues I immediately set about working to try to change that. We met with the Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy Harney, and Professor Keane. We hoped something good would come from the process. We were seeking a satellite unit for Sligo General Hospital. During last February and March, Mr. Kevin Barry, on behalf of Mayo General Hospital, announced that the hospital wanted to be part of the programme that is to be rolled out in Galway. That announcement dealt a severe blow to our political efforts. The last hope of Oireachtas Members in Sligo was to approach the then Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, who was leaving office, and ask him to speak to Professor Keane on our behalf. He reported back to us in April that no exception would be made for Sligo General Hospital or anywhere else.

During the course of our representations it became clear to my colleagues and me that the national cancer control programme was the way forward. The programme was put in place by doctors. Seventeen out of 24 members of the body charged with putting together the programme were medical personnel with expertise in the cancer area. The programme was endorsed by the Government, the Irish Cancer Society, Action Breast Cancer, the Irish Patients' Association, the Marie Keating Foundation, Patient Focus and Reach to Recovery. The Government has endorsed the programme; it did not draw it up. The report was written by medical personnel with the aim of ensuring the best outcomes for patients suffering with cancer. The Minister went to British Columbia in Canada and met Professor Keane. I alluded to the matter previously. Over dinner, she jokingly asked whether he would be interested in coming to Ireland. I think the Minister was bouncing a ball. To her surprise he said he would come and head up the cancer strategy programme.