There is consensus between the Department of Health, the National Development Finance Agency and the Health Service Executive that the plan by the Minister for Health to improve radiotherapy services countrywide by 2011 by way of public private partnership cannot be met, according to an internal report.
The progress report on the delivery of the national plan for radiation oncology, which was sent by the HSE to Mary Harney last July, states: "The overall timeline for project delivery suggested completion of the entire plan by 2011. A significant exercise has been undertaken to review this timeline.
"This has included significant detailed discussion with the National Development Finance Agency, the hospital planning office (in the Department of Health) and within the HSE. There is consensus that the target date of 2011 cannot be met."
The National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) is a statutory body which has responsibility for putting in place public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements for various capital projects.
On Friday, after it emerged that a HSE board meeting had been told in December that the plan would not be in place until 2013 or 2014 if it was delivered by PPP, Ms Harney said she did not accept the HSE's view.
However, the report to the Minister last July, which has been seen by The Irish Times, makes it clear that it is not just the view of the HSE that the timeframe set for the delivery of the project by way of PPP could not be met. It said the overall project could not be delivered by 2011 "having regard to current advice of the NDFA and the HPO (hospital planning office)".
When Ms Harney was asked on Friday about the fact that the roll- out could be delayed by three years, she told reporters: "The position of the management in the HSE has been rejected by both the board of the HSE and myself . . . we have told the HSE it has to be done on time by 2011."
The July document also stated that even Ms Harney's plans to make interim improvements to radiotherapy services by 2008 could not happen by way of PPP until 2012. The document advised that the interim improvements could be made by 2009 if radiotherapy machines were provided outside of the PPP model. Ms Harney accepted this and two extra radiotherapy machines for St James's and Beaumont hospitals in Dublin are now being sourced at a cost of about €45 million.