Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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370. To ask the Minister for Health the progress in delivering a cross-Border radiotherapy unit for the north west to be based at Altnagelvin area hospital in partnership with the Western Health and Social Care Trust; the timeframe for it to be operational; if he is committed to this; if he recognises the huge benefit it will yield for the people of the north west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44706/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I have been advised by the HSE that the development of the Radiotherapy Unit at Altnagelvin is progressing well. Extensive enabling works to clear the site for the unit are complete. Construction work which began in July 2014 is now at an advanced stage. From commencement of construction, the build programme is planned to take approximately two years to complete. It is expected that the building will be fully handed over in the summer of 2016, with commissioning and commencement of services in the autumn of 2016. I have been assured that work is currently progressing according to the planned programme.

A number of medical, physics, radiography and administrative staff have been recruited in advance in order to ensure that key clinical staff are involved in the design of the new unit so that it meets the needs of patients and the service. This advance recruitment will also help to ensure that sufficient staff and appropriate clinical skills are developed in each area in preparation for the Radiotherapy Unit to become operational by the planned start date. Further advertisement of posts and interviews are ongoing. Work is continuing in relation to service design, patient pathways and associated technical communication linkages to plan in detail for the provision of high quality radiotherapy services for all patients in 2016.

The development of this Radiotherapy Unit at Altnagelvin will greatly improve access to radiation oncology services for patients in the North West region with much reduced travel time to the new unit and I continue to support this valuable cross-border initiative.