Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 75: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the flexibility that will be given to Professor Tom Keane with regard to the provision of cancer care in the north west; if the retention of services in Sligo or Mayo or both is under consideration; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29960/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The implementation of the National Cancer Control Programme is a major priority for me and for this Government. The recent decisions of the Health Service Executive (HSE) in relation to four managed cancer control networks and eight cancer centres will be implemented on a managed and phased basis. 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. Prof. Tom Keane took up his position as interim Director of the National Cancer Control Programme last Monday. Prof. Keane will be engaging in detailed planning to facilitate the orderly phased transfer of services between locations.

The HSE has designated University College Hospital Galway and Limerick Regional Hospital as the two cancer centres in the Managed Cancer Control Network for the HSE Western Region, which includes Sligo and Mayo. The designation of cancer centres aims to ensure that patients receive the highest quality care while at the same time allowing local access to services, where appropriate. Where diagnosis and treatment planning is directed and managed by multi-disciplinary teams based at the cancer centres, then much of the treatment (other than surgery) can be delivered in local hospitals, such as Sligo General Hospital and Mayo General Hospital.

It is fully recognised that there are particular and unique geographical circumstances applying to Donegal. This is reflected in North-South co-operation in the provision of radiation oncology to patients from Donegal at Belfast City Hospital. On a sole exception basis, the Managed Cancer Control Network in the West will therefore be permitted to enter into outreach service delivery in Letterkenny as an additional activity. This exception is subject to quality assurance criteria and also to the proviso that the potential to meet the needs of cancer patients in Donegal through North-South initiatives, such as the Belfast radiation oncology service must be optimised and fully facilitated.