Vol. 481 No. 4
147 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will consider a request from cancer patients in Donegal to have subsidised air travel from Donegal Airport for the purpose of essential treatment in Dublin hospitals. [16307/97]
The North-Western Health Board is committed to making transport arrangements for people receiving treatment for cancer as comfortable and convenient as possible. To this end the board is taking steps to reduce the numbers needing to travel long distances for treatment.
The development of the day services unit at Letterkenny General Hospital has already significantly reduced the number of patients from Donegal having to travel to Dublin hospitals. The board is currently exploring the scope for links with cancer treatment services in Belfast so as to reduce travel times and distances further.
In the interim, the North-Western Health Board is quantifying the number of patients who are still obliged to travel to Dublin for treatment, and it will examine whether it can make some contribution towards their travel costs.
