Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 234: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the steps she plans to take with regard to funding for designated transport for cancer patients trying to access radiotherapy treatment in Dublin, Cork or Galway; when a decision will be made and funding delivered on this transport; her views on the fact that the failure to deliver designated transport is contributing to unacceptable delays for cancer patients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3038/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The national service plan 2006 of the Health Service Executive provides a commitment to develop proposals to support patients who have to travel long distances to access specialist services, with particular focus on those travelling for radiotherapy treatment. I approved this plan in December and it was laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas earlier this month. I made an additional €9 million available to the executive for developments in cancer services in 2006, inter alia, to facilitate better access to radiation oncology services, including dedicated transport arrangements. The executive will be reviewing the transport needs of all patients, including cancer patients and the associated resource requirements.

The executive has in place several options for the transportation of patients receiving radiotherapy and other oncology services including the use of designated oncology transport vehicles and transport by air. These services and their development relate to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to provide relevant details to the Deputy. If the Deputy is aware of any case where failure to provide transport is contributing to unacceptable delays for cancer patients, I ask him to provide details to the parliamentary affairs division for immediate examination and follow up. It is unacceptable if patient access to radiotherapy is compromised because of the absence of appropriate transport arrangements.