Seán Conlan (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Private Members' motion and to talk about health care reform. However, to table such a motion at this time, given the chaos that was caused to the health service as a result of the policies of previous Governments, is unwarranted. I welcome the Minister's efforts to reform our health care system and it must be stressed that he needs time to complete this process. It will take considerable time to fix the terrible legacy of the past.

There are some amendments to this motion dealing with health services in the Cavan-Monaghan constituency. I welcome the fact that the Minister has begun a process of looking at the possibility of putting a medical assessment unit into Monaghan General Hospital. In fact, I proposed this when I was first elected and I am pleased the Minister is advancing this process. If he delivers a medical assessment unit to Monaghan, he will be the first Minister in many years to enhance the services provided by the hospital because over the past 14 years, successive Ministers for Health, including the current Fianna Fáil leader, Deputy Martin, have stripped maternity, ICU, medical and surgical services out of the hospital. I note that the HSE has announced a temporary reduction in the hours at the Monaghan minor injuries unit with effect from 1 November 2011. I strongly urge the Minister to reconsider this decision. I believe it is not warranted and I welcome his comments that he will review the decision in the new year when he has a new budget at his disposal. I am encouraged that he has previously stated he will not allow the HSE to undertake a reconfiguration of services at Monaghan hospital by the back door.

As a Deputy for Cavan-Monaghan, health is one issue that is always foremost on my mind and on the minds of my constituents. Today, 19 people are waiting for a bed in Cavan General Hospital, having been admitted for inpatient treatment from the accident and emergency department. There are also 34 people on trolleys at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. Cuts at Monaghan hospital minor injuries unit will, in my opinion, lead to even greater numbers on trolleys at Cavan and Drogheda hospitals.

Outpatient antenatal clinics in Monaghan also need to be restored to the levels agreed to by the HSE when the maternity unit was closed. Originally, there were three consultants with three clinics per week in Monaghan hospital. However, since last year this has been reduced to only one clinic per week with two consultants alternating every week. The concern locally is that the HSE is trying to remove this service and this must not happen. I welcome the fact that the Minister and his officials are looking into this matter for me.

The deluge of flood waters in County Monaghan on Monday and Tuesday of this week left a great many roads impassable. The road network across the region is poor. Many people in County Monaghan would have found it impossible to travel by car to Cavan General Hospital these past days. This shows up a glaring inadequacy which has resulted from the reduction of services at Monaghan General Hospital. Severe weather conditions over the coming months will cause similar patient transportation problems.

I have previously asked the Minister to carry out a manpower plan for the Cavan-Monaghan hospital group and within the wider HSE north-east region and an investigation to determine the feasibility of merging or reducing in size the number of senior managers within the north-east Health Service Executive region in order to reduce payroll costs and to protect front line services in the Cavan-Monaghan hospital group and in particular to protect the opening hours of Monaghan General Hospital minor injuries unit. I appeal to the Minister's knowledge of the health care system and also to his common sense to recognise the detrimental long-term consequences of the decisions the HSE has made regarding the health care provision for the people of County Monaghan. Alternative cost-saving measures which do not attack front line services must be explored. The people of Monaghan have given enough and deserve more.

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