I thank Sinn Féin for tabling this motion. I fully support it. I call on the Government to commit to a new cancer strategy. The postcode lottery in healthcare access across the country is unacceptable and deeply unfair. People in rural communities, such as Donegal, are at a severe disadvantage when they fall ill and require emergency treatment or treatment of any type. My constituents are facing chronic shortages of GPs and very limited services in rural areas. Many of them are forced to travel long distances for basic treatments, often delaying care and worsening health outcomes. The longer waiting times and the reduced local services have contributed to increased stress, financial strain and in some cases, preventable illness and deterioration. A particular highlight comes from cancer care access in Donegal. It is shown by the report in The Journal investigates article last year that just 12% of cancer patients in Letterkenny University Hospital received treatment within the recommended 15 working day timeframe. Cancer patients in Letterkenny have to wait 50% longer than patients in any other hospital in the HSE West and North West region. This impact is life-threatening. The research has shown that the delays reduced the treatment options that are available for cancer patients. In some cases, it has caused avoidable death. Distribution of resources and services has clearly led to inequalities in healthcare outcomes. We have to address this. Where a person lives should not determine how they get their treatment. The people of Donegal deserve the same healthcare outcomes as everybody else. The failure to invest and fairly distribute healthcare resources has left rural Ireland at a real severe disadvantage. The geographical isolation undermines the principle of access, the most recent example being the planned changes to the cancer flights from Donegal to Dublin and the removal of the midday flight, which has caused severe anxiety among the people and the cancer patients who are fighting for their lives. The passengers rely on this route to get necessary life-changing treatment. They are having to fight for this midday flight. It is the difference between getting treatment and not getting it, getting a hospital bed and not getting one and a getting a favourable outcome and not getting one. The proposed changes would cause people to miss critical treatment times. Many of them would have to stay in Dublin overnight at financial costs for themselves while severely ill, not able to afford hotel rooms and trying to travel on a bus. A bus up to Donegal from Dublin takes five hours. Coming out of chemotherapy and travelling up on a bus is not a desirable thing for anybody to do. When they come in, they are looking for equality. The flight would give them that. The flight allows them to go, get their treatment, go back up in the evening and be home instead of coming to Dublin, trying to get a hotel room for €200, €300 or €400 that they do not have, then suffering and getting the flight first thing in the morning back up to Donegal. I ask the Minister of State to do whatever she can to make sure that this is highlighted and that we can make sure this flight is restored. I have spoken with the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, about this. I said that we need to make sure this flight is restored to Donegal. Otherwise, these patients are going to be suffering unnecessarily.

Sentiment score: -0.21