Tánaiste and Minister for Health Mary Harney today stood by her decision not to build a new cancer care centre in the north west despite protests from Donegal cancer groups.
Donegal Action on Cancer Care (DACC) reacted angrily to Ms Harney's €400 million plan, which will see four large centres being established in Dublin (2), Cork and Galway, and two smaller satellite units in Limerick and Waterford.
The plan aims to put a national network of radiation treatment services for cancer sufferers in place by 2011. The centres will be built under Public Private Partnerships.
A DACC spokeswoman said some Donegal cancer patients will have to travel up to 150 miles to access the nearest care in Belfast. She said Ms Harney's plan was "not in the best interests" of patients in the north west.
But Ms Harney defended her decision this morning. "To establish a centre in Donegal or the north west that would stand alone and isolated would not deliver the best cancer care. We're not going to get the kind of outcomes that we expect," she said.
She said Donegal patients would be able to get care at a new facility at Belfast City Hospital, which is being opened next year.
"It makes an awful lot of sense to have cancer treatment for Donegal and maybe other Border counties linked into Belfast. Going to Belfast in the short term will be an awful lot easier for the vast majority of patients in Donegal than travelling to Dublin or indeed to Galway," the Minister told RTÉ's Morning Irelandprogramme.
Ms Harney said discussions will be held with the Northern Ireland health authorities in the autumn with a view to developing a satellite cancer treatment centre for the north west region.
The Irish Cancer Society (ICS) yesterday said despite the new cancer plan, some patients still face long trips to access services.
The ICS asked the Government to conduct of review of the cost of travelling to and from hospitals, and to introduce a compensation scheme to cover travel and accommodation expenses.