Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance)
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164. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide a commitment to expedite the recruitment of a full-time consultant medical oncologist with a special interest in sarcoma in St. Vincent's Hospital; if he will renew the contract of the locum consultant medical oncologist who has a special interest in sarcoma until the post is filled on a permanent basis; if he will agree to meet the sarcoma action group of concerned cancer patients and their families who are seeking an urgent meeting with him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18839/16]

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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195. To ask the Minister for Health the steps he has taken to extend the current contract of a person (details supplied); if he will ensure that a permanent position is offered to this person based on their expertise in treating sarcoma cancer; if he is aware of the concern of patients at the loss of this person and their desire to have this consultant made permanent and their position approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18928/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 164 and 195 together.

Services for patients with sarcoma are provided in St Vincent’s University Hospital and in Cork University Hospital. Both hospitals are designated cancer centres and have an extensive range of multi-disciplinary services and expert clinical advice available to them.

St Vincent's University Hospital has provided highly specialised and individualised treatment to sarcoma sufferers for a number of years. St. Vincent's has access to all of the relevant specialties including surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology and pathology and is the largest provider of surgical procedures for soft tissue sarcomas in the country.

A National Clinical Lead in Soft Tissue Sarcomas is in place to oversee the services for patients with sarcomas. Irish patients with sarcoma have their cases presented and discussed at one of the two sarcoma multi-disciplinary teams. Members of these teams also have links with European specialists in sarcoma.

A Consultant Medical Oncologist was employed by St Vincent’s hospital on a locum contract to provide cover for another Consultant Medical Oncologists who had taken on the role as Chair of Irish Clinical Oncology Research Group. This Consultant has now returned to his post at the hospital and the reason for employing the locum has ceased.

I am assured by the HSE that care for patients requiring treatment for sarcoma cancer will continue to receive high quality care at St Vincent’s Hospital and that their management will be provided by one of the hospital’s full-time oncologists.

Consideration is also being given to appointing a permanent Consultant Medical Oncologist with a special interest in the area of sarcoma to meet demand at St Vincent’s University Hospital. Such an appointment would be advertised and the appointment process would be conducted in the normal way.

I am happy to meet with the Sarcoma Action Group and my office will be in touch with the group directly in that regard.