Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

On the cancer issue, I am reliably told that there is a problem nationally in regard to theatre space for carrying out surgery on cancer. While clearly there are vacant theatres throughout the country for procedures, would it be an innovative, cost saving and life saving step for HSE West to allocate theatre space within Sligo General Hospital to facilitate the clear pressures for space in terms of undertaking cancer treatment procedures in University College Hospital Galway and here in Dublin?

The struggle for all Governments is to try to find equality of access for services. This Bill deals with that and we support it but as I have said many times in the House, whether it is the HSE, people in Hawkins House, the Minister of the day or whoever, increasingly, an "Animal Farm" situation applies to the health services in that some people are more equal than others. That certainly seems to be the case in the north west.