‘Not humane’ as Donegal patients undertake long journeys for medical care

A local councillor has said it is “not humane” to have Donegal people travelling so far to receive medical care.

Councillor Denis McGee, 100% Redress Party, has highlighted the long journeys people have to undertake with serious illnesses, calling it “a disgrace”

Patients in Donegal requiring specialised care such as chemotherapy or radiation are currently required to travel to Galway and Dublin, in some cases. 

This is due to Letterkenny University Hospital not having all of the necessary facilities. A new Surgical Hub is currently under development at Letterkenny University Hospital following a formal government announcement in July 2025. The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill, set an initial target of two years for the hub to be operational.

READ NEXT: Letterkenny man undertaking Errigal to Everest Base Camp for Cancer Care West

“Patients in Donegal have to travel up to Galway for cancer care and maybe other procedures as well, but I think it's very cruel what the state is putting these people through,” Cllr McGee said. “I'm up with a family today and it is over five hours of a journey to come up here with somebody who has cancer. 

“The fella in the B&B told us 75% of the people staying are from Donegal, which in itself tells the story of what we have to do. It's not good enough. The government is doing enough. I know we're getting a surgical hub in Letterkenny, I know we're getting the ambulatory care, extra chairs and all the stuff.

“We have to now make sure that all those timelines are met.  It was announced last July that these things were going to happen and timelines were set out, but in the meantime, people are still suffering, people are still having to travel with serious diagnoses here for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, everything like that. It's not fair, it's not right, it's not humane.

“Why should people and their families have to be looking and getting a bed and breakfast, having to be paying taxis to come all the way up to Dublin. It's a disgrace if you ask me. We don't want a situation where they keep missing deadlines like they've missed deadlines for everything else that they ever set out to do. 

“It just needs to be highlighted. The amount of Donegal people up here today is unreal. That we have to travel over five hours and five hours back again just to get basic health care. It's not good enough.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme