On May 15th, representatives of the Green Party in the North West will meet with Professor Tom Keane, whom has been appointed by the HSE to oversee the implementation of the National Cancer Strategy and the establishment of the 8 Centres of Excellence that form part of that strategy.
Professor Keane will give a presentation regarding progress with the strategy and will deal with questions and issues raised by the Green Party representatives.
Brian Scanlon and I will use this opportunity to make Professor Keane aware of the depth of feeling about this issue in the North West, and question him as to the decision making that has left the North West at a remove from the main network of Centres of Excellence.
If anyone would like either Brian or I to raise specific arguments in relation to the Cancer Strategy please get in touch and we will be happy to meet with you.
On a related note, I’d like to respond to comments made by Sinn Fein Cllr. Martin Kenny at a recent public meeting in Carrick on Shannon where he accused me of “supporting Mary Harney and her privatisation plans” or something along those lines.
Firstly, the meeting had nothing to do with privatisation, it was about cancer care in the public hospital system.
Secondly, I do support Mary Harney in her efforts the tackle vested interests and political opportunism in the Health Service, which no Minister for Health has ever tried to do before.
Thirdly, I oppose Sinn Fein’s plans to model our Health Service on that of Cuba.
See here

More pictures here.
Fourthly, the purpose of the meeting in Carrick on Shannon was discuss ways in which a Centre of Excellence can be established at Sligo, which I support. I offered my views and didn’t mention Mary Harney or privatisation once.
Fifthly, Martin Kenny and his Sinn Fein colleagues would do well to realise that people have little interest in political ideaolgy, folksy rhetoric, Padraig Pearse quotations and whether or not Sinn Fein are in Government in Northern Ireland (who isn’t in Government in Northern Ireland?), and want their politicians to get on with implementing policy in a mature, responsible and pragmatic way, which is all I’ll ever do.
Garreth
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