Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 242: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients awaiting cancer treatment services, including pre-operative, surgery and post-operative services, in the greater Dublin area; if waiting times are compatible with targets as set out under the National Cancer Strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20116/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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As this is a service matter, the question would in the normal course of events be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. This is not possible due to industrial action.

However, I can advise that waiting times for referrals to symptomatic breast services were set by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) in its 2007 National Quality Assurance Standards for Symptomatic Breast Disease Services. The most recently-available performance indicator statistics for urgent and routine referrals showed the standards being exceeded across all cancer centres as a whole (standards are for 95% of urgent referrals to be seen within two weeks and 95% of routine referrals to be seen within 12 weeks).

In relation to the greater Dublin area specifically, both cancer centres in the Dublin North East region exceeded the standard for urgent referrals and in Dublin Mid-Leinster, one of two centres exceeded the standard. For routine referrals, in Dublin North East one of two centres exceeded the standard while in Dublin Mid-Leinster, both centres exceeded the standard. In February 2010, HIQA published its Report into the Quality and Safety of Symptomatic Breast Disease Services in Ireland. It found that the centres were meeting the key requirements of the National Quality Assurance Standards.