Caít Keane (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Like the other speakers, I extend my sympathy to the Ryan and O'Connor families which have lost their loved ones.

I welcome the report on direct provision published yesterday and the certainty the Minister for Justice and Equality has now brought to the very uncertain and unsavoury situation in which many residents find themselves. Implementation of the report is a necessity.

Senator Darragh O'Brien raised the issue of pancreatic cancer. There are eight people on the list. Every year for the past number of years eight pancreatic operations are carried out in Ireland. I agree with Senator Colm Burke who said that planning for consultants is necessary. In this situation, however, the post was advertised quite a number of times but they failed to fill the vacancy on the national kidney and pancreatic transplant programme. It was said that no one with the required skills has been found. As an interim measure, a surgeon from the North of Ireland is working one in four days, which is not enough.

It is a very complex and quite costly operation but could patients be transferred to hospitals in the EU until such time as a surgeon with the skills is found? There are surgeons with skills but oversight is required. The State saves €700,000 per operation as people to not have to receive dialysis over a 15 year period. Given the cost of dialysis versus the cost of transfer to another EU country, could that be looked at? I am asking the question because I do not know the answer. It may solve a problem in the short to medium term. It is not for the want of trying in that the HSE has advertised the post. I am reading the report on it.

I also welcome the announcement that all children diagnosed with cancer will have the medical card today. We might as well get in a bit of the good news along with the bad news.