Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 150: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the Health Service Executive has entered into a service level agreement with the providers of the private radiotherapy facilities in Waterford; and the number of people they envisage being treated in the first year. [35519/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Quality standards for the provision of radiation oncology services for public patients have been prepared by an expert group established on foot of a Government decision in January 2004. The Health Service Executive (HSE) has advised my Department that it is applying these standards to radiation oncology services that it provides or arranges to have provided.

There has been recent communication between the HSE and the UPMC Whitfield Clinic to explore the scope and conditions for the procurement of its radiation oncology services. The HSE will comply with relevant procurement and quality guidelines in any contracting for these services.

My Department is working closely with the HSE to progress the National Radiation Oncology Plan announced by Government in July 2005. It will deliver integrated care to cancer patients by multi-disciplinary teams of cancer experts at centres in Dublin (at Beaumont and St. James's Hospitals), Cork and Galway and two integrated satellite centres at Waterford Regional Hospital and Limerick Regional Hospital.