A permanent breast surgeon is to be appointed to a Co Donegal hospital in a bid to bring better cancer services to the county.
Health service bosses made the decision to improve breast care services in Letterkenny General Hospital after a number of protests.
In a statement today the Health Service Executive (HSE) said the provision of breast care services at Letterkenny General Hospital would merge with the Regional Breast Care Unit at Galway Regional Hospital.
The network will allow for the service in Letterkenny to be maintained and developed along with the objective of the National Cancer Control Strategy.
Last year Donegal Action for Cancer Care group had brought its campaign for the retention of cancer treatment services in Letterkenny to Minister for Health Mary Harney.
Earlier this month, the medical board at Letterkenny General said it had to stop seeing new breast cancer patients due to the hospital's lack of a permanent breast surgeon.
The hospital said it had been appealing to the HSE to make an appointment for some time.
The HSE said: "It is intended to appoint a permanent surgeon with a special interest in breast surgery who will be primarily based as lead surgeon for services at Letterkenny General Hospital."
However, Fine Gael today expressed disappointment with the solution. Donegal Donegal South West TD Dinny McGinley said the appointment would "not lead to any immediate improvement in the lot of Donegal cancer patients.
"It does not seem to guarantee the appointment of a permanent breast surgeon dedicated to Donegal patients, and it perpetuates the unacceptable situation where patients in the North West have to endure arduous journeys in order to get treatment," he said.