David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. The previous Government made an explicit commitment to provide an oncology unit on the grounds of Waterford Regional Hospital. In 2007, the former Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, and former Minister from Waterford, Mr. Martin Cullen, made an unequivocal statement to this effect to the people of Waterford.

The Minister of State may be aware that for more than ten years a campaign has been fought to bring an integrated multi-displinary cancer service to the south-east region. This campaign sought to establish a centre of excellence and an oncology unit that can provide all the modalities of cancer care, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery, on one integrated site because international best practice demonstrates this approach results in better outcomes for patients. Despite the fact that land was made available on the site of Waterford Regional Hospital, it appears the capital funding is no longer available or else the proposed oncology unit is not part of the current capital programme. This issue causes serious concern for patients in the south east. The region has a population of 450,000 and the hospital in Waterford covers Counties Waterford, south County Tipperary and County Wexford, as well as providing cancer services for patients in counties Carlow and Kilkenny. It is vital, therefore, that the oncology unit is built.

I recently joined my Labour Party colleague, Deputy Ciara Conway, and other Government Members in meeting the local hospice movement, which expressed concern about the delay in constructing the oncology unit and the 20-bed palliative care unit which was to be attached to it. At present, an integrated service with three consultants is based at the hospital but only two inpatient beds are available for a region comprising 450,000 people. There are four community home care specialist palliative care teams with consultant leads but, while these teams do fantastic work, they need in-house facilities for those who cannot be cared for at home. In Cork and Kerry the population is 510,000 but the area has 24 specialist palliative care beds. The south east, with a population of 463,000, has access to two inpatient beds. Some 1,300 patients in the south east per year are seen by the specialist community team, with 850 patients seen in acute hospitals. The estimated cost of the oncology unit which could provide the proper centre of excellence, with integrated care and all modalities on site and which would be part of international best practice in giving patients best outcome, would be approximately €70 million. It may be even less now because of the downturn.

The local hospice movement has provided €2.5 million which is ready to be spent. The money has been raised through hard work and the movement needs to have the unit built. The primary objective is the oncology unit with a palliative care section but if that is not an option, another plan to find an independent palliative care unit should be explored.

There are times when people play politics with very serious health issues. The commitments given by the previous Government were not carried out but my party also gave commitments, as did local Fine Gael and Labour Party candidates. The leaders of Fine Gael and the Labour Party, Deputies Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore, gave very clear commitments that if they were in Government, they would deliver on the promise of delivering an oncology unit. I hope the Minister of State will be able to ease some of the fears of patients in the south east. I am being told that the unit is not part of the capital programme and if that is the case we should get the facility on the capital programme so we can expedite the issue.