Government broke election health promise, says PD Mayor

THE Progressive Democrat mayor of Waterford has urged the public to vote against the Government because of the lack of health services in the east.

The revolt by Oliver Clery follows the resignation of Fianna Fail city council member Mary Roche after she was told by the Government that a radiotherapy service would not be provided for the region.

Mayor Clery said he was ‘fed up’ of parties making commitments to the people at election time and not fulfilling their promises. But he said he would not be resigning. He said people would get their say at the next election.

“In the next election, people who have committed themselves to providing facilities in our city must get priority.

“Regrettably, I would be the first to say that the Fianna Fail/PD government made a very strong commitment about the provision of radiotherapy and they have failed to do so. I’m saying to people not to vote for people who made commitments to the people of this city and did not fulfil them. The PDs in their manifesto did say that radiotherapy services would be provided in this region.”

Mary Roche said she is considering running as an independent candidate in the next election. She said she will be urging the electorate to vote against Fianna Fail and the PD’s after they failed to live up to a pre-election commitment to boost services for cancer sufferers in the region.

“I resigned specifically because of the party’s refusal to locate a radiotherapy unit at Waterford Regional Hospital for the South East. The message from Government is that services in Cork and Dublin and Galway are to be beefed up.

“We are a regional gateway here in Waterford. There are 450,000 people in this region and 3,000 new cases each year. Essentially, not enough people are getting radiotherapy. Those who are getting it are having to wait up to six weeks whereas the recommended period is no longer than three weeks.

“I will be urging people not to vote for Fianna Fail and the PDs in the next election. I won’t be going to another party. If you can’t get things done in Fianna Fail, the biggest party, why should you go to another party.”

Meanwhile, the Cancer Care Alliance (CCA) said it will be pressing Tánaiste Mary Harney, this week, to end the postcard lottery on the availability of treatment.

Deputy Jerry Cowley said equal access to radiotherapy and cancer services is the main aim of the alliance.

The alliance will be demanding multi-annual funding for Ireland’s cancer epidemic when it meets the Tánaiste on Thursday. “Everyone should be entitled to equal access to the best possible, early detection and treatment of cancer services regardless of where they live,” Dr Cowley said.

It was imperative, he said, the alliance send a strong message to the government to make the fight against cancer a top priority.

“Ireland’s below EU-average cancer survival rate is directly related to the lack of early detection and treatment services,” he claimed.