Geraldine Feeney (Fianna Fail)

If medical personnel in Sligo sign up to the strategy, as medical experts in Mayo have done, they would travel to Galway one day a week and look after Sligo patients who will return to Sligo for the rest of their treatment.

It is worth pointing out that only one out of every 15 women who are screened for breast cancer will be diagnosed with breast cancer. That means 14 out of 15 women will have to make only one visit to a breast care clinic. Professor Keane indicated that the fact we are transferring surgery to a cancer service is no criticism of surgeons in regional hospitals but the evidence is striking that the best way to provide a service is to concentrate resources.

If a woman has a mastectomy she should be offered reconstruction surgery. Sadly, in Sligo General Hospital there is no facility to offer reconstruction surgery because we do not have plastic surgeons. I can speak only for my area but I think the same is true of Castlebar. When the breast surgery unit is moved from Sligo to Galway, I urge the Minister to ensure the move is as smooth as possible bearing in mind patients' interests and safety and making sure they are to the fore. We all have a part to play in rolling out the cancer programme. Not only politicians but also doctors must come on board. They cannot let personal interests stand in the way of best practice and patient care. Politicians and doctors have a role to ensure patients in this country have the same chance as patients in the rest of the developed world. It was interesting to hear Professor Keane talk about the rise in lung cancer incidence that is expected in coming years, especially in young women. He feels that breast cancer is now under control and breast cancer services will be rolled out in the eight units. The cancer control programme will then try to bring prostate cancer under control. Rare cancers will be treated in two of the units here in Dublin.

I ask the Minister to ensure everything will be ready in Galway when the time comes to move services. I know there will be two ring-fenced beds. Women, particularly those presenting with breast cancer, have the best chance of survival and achieve the best possible outcomes if treated in a dedicated unit. Paediatric cancers are dealt with under one roof. Women need to be treated by dedicated breast cancer surgeons who are dealing with all sorts of surgeries and know what to look out for. Mr. Tim O'Hanrahan is an excellent surgeon and we are very proud to have him in Sligo. However, if something happened to him in the morning — God forbid — there would be no one to replace him because he is a general surgeon with an interest in breast surgery. When he goes on holidays I am sure no one is there to take over the vital work he does. Therefore it is important for us to move our unit. I commend the Minister's work and that of the national cancer control programme, which I fully support.