The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, accepted there was not sufficient access to radiotherapy services.
He added that was the reason he had set up an expert group, "but it is important that we get the proper model so we can begin to allocate resources against that model."
Mr Martin said that various groups had come forward with proposals, and he had told them that he was awaiting the presentation and publication of the expert group's report before making any decision about radiotherapy facilities.
"The issues relate to patient throughput, the population catchment area that any centre should deal with and the multi-disciplinary nature of the human resources required for a radiotherapy centre, from radiation oncologists to physicists to specialist nursing," he added.
Fine Gael spokeswoman on health, Ms Olivia Mitchell, said there was no doubt that the review group would eventually report. "All the stories one hears indicate that the report is already with the Minister and has been before the Cabinet," she added. Mr Martin said that was not the case.
Ms Mitchell said the report was the most leaked of all time. "Given the sensitivities regarding what is contained in the report, I understand why the Minister is not anxious to publish it," she added.
She said there were services in Dublin and Cork, and, hopefully, they would be available in Galway by 2005. Given that the decision to provide those services in Galway was made in 1997 or earlier, it was clear it took nine years to bring a facility to fruition.
