Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 112: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if an outreach cancer centre is still planned for County Donegal; if it will be linked to Galway or Northern Ireland; the services it will provide; the timescale for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25912/10]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)
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The goals of the National Cancer Control Programme are improvements in cancer prevention, detection, treatment and survival through a national service based on evidence and best practice. Under the Programme, all cancer diagnostic, surgical and radiation oncology services are being transferred to four managed cancer control networks, each with two cancer centres. This process was completed in 2009 for breast cancer diagnostic and surgical services, all of which are now located in the eight centres plus one outreach centre at Letterkenny General Hospital, linked to University Hospital Galway. Similarly, it is intended that the number of hospitals performing rectal cancer surgery will be reduced progressively to the eight cancer centres plus Letterkenny.

In April 2008, Minister Michael McGimpsey of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSS&PS), Northern Ireland announced the provision of a satellite centre (linked to Belfast City Hospital) to be located in Altnagelvin in Derry, which would be established by 2015. It will provide the additional radiotherapy capacity needed to meet an anticipated increase in cancer in Northern Ireland and the North West of Ireland. It also recognises the potential for cross border co-operation in the development of this resource. I welcomed the announcement by Minister McGimpsey and I have informed him that I will make a capital contribution towards the project. Officials from my Department and their counterparts in Northern Ireland continue to hold discussions in this regard.

A business case for the satellite radiotherapy service at Altnagelvin has now been finalised and is awaiting approval by Minister McGimpsey. My Department and the HSE's National Cancer Control Programme have nominated representatives to the Cross Border Sub Group, the Project Board and the Service Design and Workforce Planning Subgroup for the project. Cancer patients in the North West requiring radiation oncology treatment are referred to St. Luke's Hospital Dublin or to University Hospital Galway. A Service Level Agreement is also in place with Belfast City Hospital, but a very small number of patients take up the option to avail of services there.