Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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730. To ask the Minister for Health the reason a post for a specialist sarcoma consultant has not been filled since the position was created in July 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1284/19]

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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731. To ask the Minister for Health his views on whether it is acceptable that sarcoma patients have been denied access to a specialist for over two years due to the fact that a post for a specialist sarcoma consultant has not been filled since the position was created in July 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1285/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 730 and 731 together.

The sarcoma multidisciplinary team in St. Vincent's University Hospital will be expanded with the appointment of a Consultant Oncologist with a special interest in Sarcoma. Following the advertisement of this post, a successful candidate was identified and an offer of appointment was made. However, the hospital advise that the person involved is not in a position to take up the post until summer 2019.

The new specialist will join the existing team, which has all of the relevant specialties including Surgery, Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Radiology and Pathology, to provide specialist care to patients with sarcoma attending the hospital.