Brendan Kenneally (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if funding is in place in respect of the recently announced cancer control programme; the amount of funding available in 2007 and 2008; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24912/07]

Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 236: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if the decision to have eight cancer centres here is Government policy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25215/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 236 together.

The implementation of the National Cancer Control Programme is a major priority for me and for this Government. I fully support the appointment by the Health Service Executive (HSE) of Prof. Tom Keane as Interim National Cancer Control Director. The delivery of cancer services on a programmatic basis will serve to ensure equity of access to services and equality of patient outcome irrespective of geography.

The recent decisions of the HSE to designate four managed cancer control networks and eight cancer centres will be implemented on a managed and phased basis. A detailed transitional plan will be put in place to facilitate the progressive, gradual and carefully managed transfer of services over the next two years or so. The HSE plans to have completed 50% of the transition of services to cancer centres by end 2008 and 80-90% by end 2009.

Prof. Keane and the HSE have emphasised the importance of mobilising existing resources and redirecting them to achieve the National Cancer Control Programme objectives. An additional €20.5m was allocated to the HSE this year for cancer control. This is an increase of 74% on the comparable 2006 investment and includes €3.5m to support the initial implementation of the National Cancer Control Programme. Further investment in cancer control will be based on the reform programme now being implemented by the HSE.