John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Question 229: To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on his recent visit to Tallaght Hospital, Dublin; the discussions he had with management and board in respect of funding and governance issues; his views on the concerns of the wider community in respect of the future of the Tallaght hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1714/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Having been advised that the first meeting of the new interim Board of Tallaght hospital was taking place, I attended to offer my support and real encouragement to the Board and its new chairperson, Sir Keith Pearson. I discussed the important role the Board will play, not just in relation to the new governance arrangements in Tallaght but also in the context of the governance arrangements that may apply to many hospitals as part of the reform of our health services. I thanked the board members for taking on this role. I also thanked the outgoing Board and, in particular, the outgoing chairperson David Pierpoint and his deputy chair Mairead Shields who had given sterling service on the previous Board and who had brought Tallaght to this new and very promising place. I wished Sir Keith all the very best in his new endeavour and thanked him very much for giving of his time on a pro bono basis to such an important task.

I am aware of the concerns to which the Deputy refers, however I am convinced that with the new governance structure now in place, with the leadership of Sir Keith Pearson and the hospital's new CEO, Tallaght Hospital is now in a good position to face the challenges of the future. The new Board and the CEO are working closely with the HSE to take the necessary steps to address the financial and organisational issues at the hospital.

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 230: To ask the Minister for Health his plans to assist a voluntary organisation (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1719/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Under the HSE's National Cancer Control Programme (HSE-NCCP), cancer surgery and diagnosis are undergoing a process of consolidation into eight centres (and one satellite centre), while radiation oncology services are provided in a limited number of centres. Consequently, patients may need to travel for treatment. There are a number of systems of support in place for these patients including the HSE-NCCP's Travel2Care scheme. The HSE is also currently reviewing its policy in relation to eligibility for non-ambulance based transport services in order to ensure that a consistent policy is adopted nationally for these services.