Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 212: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the amount the Government is paying the British Government as part of the agreement to allow cancer patients from Donegal to access cancer care at Belfast Hospital; and the scheme under which the Government is accessing this funding. [36958/06]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the details of the recently commenced agreement to allow cancer patients from Donegal to access cancer care at Belfast Hospital. [36959/06]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 215: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she has discussed the matter of a satellite radiotherapy unit, to be based in Letterkenny General Hospital and servicing cancer patients in the greater north west cross-Border region, with the British Government; and if she will provide a report on progress achieved in this matter. [36961/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 212, 213 and 215 together.

The Government is committed to making the full range of cancer services available and accessible to cancer patients throughout Ireland. Government policy is to achieve best outcomes for patients based on all aspects of cancer care, surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy delivered by multi-disciplinary teams based around major centres. The Government decided in July 2005 that the best option for improving geographic access for patients in the North West to radiation oncology services is to (i) facilitate access to Belfast City Hospital (BCH) and (ii) to progress consideration of a joint venture for the provision of oncology services in the medium term to patients in the North West from a satellite centre in the North West linked to BCH.

Last Autumn, I agreed with the then Minister for Health for Northern Ireland that the radiation oncology centre at BCH would provide treatment for patients from Donegal. A Project Board was established under the aegis of Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) to deliver on this commitment. It included representatives from BCH, Altnagelvin, Letterkenny, the HSE and both Departments. At the last meeting of the British Irish Inter Governmental Council on 24 October 2006, it was announced that agreement has been reached for the referral of about 50 radiation oncology patients annually from Donegal to BCH. It has also been agreed that the number will be increased if there is sufficient demand from patients in Donegal. Patient pathways have been developed and the HSE and BCH have agreed the basis for costing the service provided by BCH. The costs will be proportional to the number of Donegal patients treated by BCH, taking into account the full cost of BCH's service to all patients treated, both local and from Donegal. The first referral clinic is scheduled to take place today.

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 214: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the way the National Cancer Forum's recommendation that there should be a population of 400,000 to service a satellite radiotherapy unit compares with European guidelines on this matter. [36960/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The National Cancer Forum did not make any such recommendation. It did make a recommendation however that the National Radiation Oncology Plan agreed by Government last year should be implemented.

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 216: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 11 was taken by ambulance to Beaumont Hospital instead of the Mater Hospital where their file was on 19 October 2006. [36962/06]

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, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.