Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 261: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the status of the sub-committee to deliver transport solutions to ensure equal access to cancer treatment for patients nationwide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31870/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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As I have previously indicated in the House, appropriate transport arrangements for patients requiring radiotherapy should be made available, where necessary, by the Health Service Executive. The Department of Health and Children asked the HSE last May to ensure that appropriate transport arrangements are put in place on a national basis for patients who are required to travel to obtain radiotherapy. Transport solutions are a feature of the current provision of radiation oncology services. The Department has asked the HSE to advise the Deputy directly about current and proposed transport arrangements for radiation oncology patients throughout the country.

Last July, I announced the Government's plan for a national network of radiation oncology services to be put in place by 2011 and commencing in 2008. The network will consist of four large centres in Dublin, Cork and Galway and two integrated satellite centres at Waterford Regional Hospital and Limerick Regional Hospital. The Government considers that the best option in terms of improving geographic access for patients in the north-western area is to facilitate access for those patients to radiation oncology services as part of North-South co-operation on cancer. Appropriate transport arrangements will form part of the planning and implementation of this plan, given the significant increase in capacity involved. The national radiation oncology co-ordinating group advises the Department and the HSE on radiotherapy. In that light and given that under the Health Act 2004, the HSE is responsible for the management and delivery of health and personal social services, the group does not intend to prepare a specific report on transport. The group, which has met three times this year, is finalising quality standards for the provision of radiation oncology services for public patients. I expect the standards to be submitted to me shortly.