Taoiseach Micheál Martin supports strengthening cross-border cancer care to ensure Inishowen access

Transcript

00:00The people of Donegal deserve the same healthcare options as everyone else, and I'm sure you agree

00:04that where you live shouldn't determine where you get treatment. I'm asking you, what will you do

00:08to end health discrimination being experienced by the people in Donegal?

00:12Thank you, Deputy Chief.

00:13The Minister did meet with clinicians in Letterkenny recently, and there has been significant investment

00:17in Letterkenny Hospital over the years. There's also, and there can be challenges,

00:21there has been contributions from the Republic in terms of investment in that in the Gelvin.

00:25Because if you look at Donegal geographically, and it's shown in particular, to me, the cross-water

00:33services need to be strengthened, and capacity needs to be strengthened to facilitate access,

00:38because under the earlier cancer strategies, the north-west was, Galway was the main centre,

00:45which is a significant distance. So we do need to look at this strategically in terms of concentrating

00:53cancer services, which I believe in, which was the prevailing expert view for a long time.

01:01I am slightly concerned that there is an erosion of that principle now, and people are going back

01:05to the county hospital kind of approach to cancer treatment, which, in my view, will not give up

01:11optimal outcomes. That's something we need to examine, and also the proliferation of private centres,

01:17in my view, militates against the overarching objective of the state, which should be optimal outcomes,

01:24really top-class centres, where your multidisciplinary teams provide the treatment and the care.

01:29to use the