Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 267: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the amount of funding given by her Department or the Health Service Executive for the years 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 to an institute (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14539/08]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The National Breast Cancer Research Institute (NBCRI) is a voluntary based charity located at the Clinical Science Institute, University College Hospital Galway. Funding for cancer research is provided by my Department to the Health Research Board (HRB). The statutory functions of the HRB are to promote, conduct, fund and commission medical, epidemiological and health services research in Ireland. The HRB has advised my Department that funding of over €2.6m has been provided to the National University of Ireland Galway (Department of Surgery) and University College Hospital Galway from 2004 to 2007. A significant proportion of this funding relates to breast cancer research and clinical trials for breast cancer.

HRB records of research grants do not include a specific grant to the NBCRI. However, a number of individuals associated with the NBCRI are in receipt of grants. The HRB has also informed my Department that the new Clinical Research Facility, which will be built as an annex to the existing University College Hospital Galway, will provide significant research benefits, including cancer research. The new facility will support a much greater volume of clinical studies in cancer, going well beyond the clinical trials already well established and bringing patient centred research to a new level. The funding associated with the new facility is €20m which is being funded by the HRB and the Health Service Executive. It is anticipated that the facility will be completed next year.