Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 249: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will give an assurance that adequate funding will be provided to treat public patients at the proposed radiotherapy unit to be established at the Mid-West Regional Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24475/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the Department of Health and Children has asked the parliamentary affairs division of the HSE to arrange to have the matter investigated and for a reply to issue directly to the Deputy.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 250: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will clarify the structures under which the proposed radiotherapy unit at the Mid-West Regional Hospital will operate in the context of the Government proposal that it be a satellite to the Galway centre and the previous arrangement made with the Mater Private Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24476/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I recently announced the Government's plan for a national network of radiation oncology services, to be put in place by 2011. The network will consist of four large centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway and two integrated centres at Waterford Regional Hospital and Limerick Regional Hospital, conditional on their conformity to certain quality assurance measurements. A new radiotherapy unit is under construction on the site of Limerick Regional Hospital. A two linear accelerator facility is proposed, with services to commence with one machine. The former Mid-Western Health Board entered into an arrangement with the Mid-Western Hospital Development Trust, which contracted the Mater Private Hospital to run the service. It is understood that the trust has offered to pay for public patients referred for treatment over a three to five year period. The HSE is to explore with the trust the possibility of the facility at Limerick becoming a satellite to be integrated with University College Hospital Galway.