Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 178: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will make a comprehensive statement detailing plans for the future delivery of all cancer services in the Tallaght region currently delivered from Tallaght Hospital, Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2622/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has designated St James's Hospital and St Vincent's Hospital as the two cancer centres in the Managed Cancer Control Network for the HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster region, which includes Tallaght.

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 locally, including chemotherapy and support services. The Oncology Day Ward at the Adelaide and Meath Hospital, incorporating the National Children's Hospital (AMNCH) will continue to operate under a medical oncologist following the transfer of cancer surgery to one of the designated cancer centres. Related cancer clinical trials can therefore also continue at AMNCH.

Breast cancer services are the first to be centralised into the eight centres and will be transferred from AMNCH in April 2009 to one of the two designated cancer centres for the region, to which patients from the Tallaght region will be referred by their GP. The views of GPs in the Tallaght region are being sought to establish to which of the designated cancer centres for the region they will now refer patients with symptomatic breast disease.

Following the transfer of breast services to the designated centres, the HSE's National Cancer Control Programme (NCCP) will progress the centralisation of services for other site-specific cancers, including lung, prostate and pancreatic cancers. The National Hospitals Office of the HSE will engage with AMNCH and the designated centres to agree on the services that will transfer to AMNCH from the designated centres, replacing cancer services at the hospital.

Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 179: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans for the development of children's services in the Tallaght region, particularly in view of her Department's plans for the new children's hospital on the Mater site; if she will give assurances to those parents in the region who are concerned about the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2623/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The development of the National Paediatric Hospital is a priority project for the Government. The Health Service Executive Capital Plan 2008-2013 includes provision for the development of the new hospital which will include an associated Ambulatory and Urgent Care Centre at Tallaght. The project is being overseen by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board.

The Ambulatory and Urgent Care Centre at Tallaght will offer a range of services including urgent care consultations, outpatient services and day surgery. The vast majority of children who presently attend the National Children Hospital's Emergency Department at Tallaght do not require admission and will continue to access their care locally at the new Centre. It has been estimated that when the Centre is developed, it will cater for approximately 48,000 emergency attendances, 9,000 day cases and 58,000 out-patient attendances. The actual level of activity will depend on the number of such centres developed over time.