October 2000: The Western Health Board (WHB) told Tuam Cancer Care it would prioritise respite care beds in Tuam if the Bon Secours Hospital closed. The hospital closed in April 2001.
July 25th, 2001: Tuam Cancer Care wrote to the WHB's regional manager, Noel Brett, about replacement respite beds.
July 27th: Brett said he was examining the matter.
September 11th: Both sides met. Two days later Brett wrote to the group saying he had asked Adrian Ahern, manager, East Galway Mental Health and Older People Services, to investigate opening a palliative care bed at Aras Mhuire, a home for the aged, in Tuam. He also said he would ask the Department of Health to fund a second bed.
November 29th: Brett and the cancer care group met. The next day, Brett wrote down WHB's commitment to replacing the lost cancer care beds. He hoped they would be in place by February.
November 30th: Brett wrote again to the group confirming he would seek to proceed with construction of a two-bedded unit at Aras Mhuire. He hoped it would be ready by February 2002.
January 2002: Both sides met over plans for the unit.
May 29th: Care group wrote to Brett about the lack of progress.
June 28th: Brett in a letter to the group said planning permission had been applied for to provide beds at Aras Mhuire.
September 11th: The group was told Galway County Council had granted planning permission. Work was due to begin in October, the health board said.
December 2002 and May 2003: Tuam Cancer Care wrote to Brett querying the position.
June 4th: Tuam Cancer Care and the WHB met regarding the care unit at Aras Mhuire. Brett said the health board was committed to providing the beds.
June 7th: Brett wrote to Tuam Cancer Care saying work would begin on August 13th.
March 1st, 2004: Adrian Ahern wrote to Tuam Cancer Care saying the WHB planned to fund two nurses to run the unit.
July: Operational guidelines for the respite unit were drawn up.
September 13th: Frank Murphy, regional director, Mental Health and Services for Older People, WHB, wrote to the Department of Health seeking €150,000 to open the unit.
October 13th: The department asked the WHB to list its funding requests for palliative care.
October 21st: Tuam Cancer Care wrote to Murphy highlighting its frustration at the unit's delay, which ultimately did not require any extension to Aras Mhuire.
November 2nd: Murphy wrote to the care group saying the unit was ready for occupation. However, the Irish Nurses Organisation said 2.5 nurses, for which funding was being provided, was not enough.
March 2005: In a reply to a parliamentary question from Independent Galway East TD Paddy McHugh, Minister of State at the Department of Health Sean Power said funding for extra staff was a matter for the former WHB and he had asked it to investigate the delay in providing funding for the unit.