Paddy Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to ask the Leader for a debate about health services. Two reports which came out recently, one from the Saolta University Health Care Group in the west region, where there is overcrowding at Mayo University Hospital, Castlebar, which is affecting the accident and emergency department. It is crowding out services and the hospital is under huge pressure, asking people not to attend hospital if at all possible and to go their GPs. There was another report about cancer services in the west, at University Hospital Galway, which is the cancer services provider for the west and north west. The hospital has complained it does not get the same level of funding as other hospitals providing cancer services in the country. We need a debate in the House about accident and emergency and cancer services in the west and north west.These issues are putting massive pressure on the west region and in particular on our area. It is difficult enough to go a long distance from rural Ireland, particularly along the west coast, to get to Galway University Hospital for any service. To be going there on a continual basis for cancer services and to be denied some of those, or to be late getting the services that are being provided in other areas is not on in this day and age. All they are looking for is the same level of services as are provided in the other hospitals in the south and on the east coast. It is important that we would have the Minister for Health come to the House and tell us what is happening and what can be done in respect of these services.

We had Professor Keane here a number of years ago and he recommended a number of hospitals around the country that would provide cancer services. Galway University Hospital has responsibility for providing the services in the west and north west. It is a massive geographical area. It is a fair ordeal for those who have to get to the hospital and it is not on that they may be told they are going to be late or the service cannot be provided. I would appreciate if we could have the Minister here at some stage to bring us up to date on the accident and emergency department at Castlebar, where there is a lot of pressure, and on the cancer services being provided for our region at University Hospital Galway.