Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)

I commend the motion to the House and intend to focus on the situation at Roscommon County Hospital. The promises made to us at election time were broken. People were lied to. That is somewhat normal, but it is nevertheless unacceptable. The Taoiseach, then Leader of the Opposition, made an inspirational speech outside Gleeson's Townhouse in Roscommon in which he assured us that under a Fine Gael Government, there would be no removal of accident and emergency services.

We also received assurances before the election from the current Minister for Health. He said: "I would like to confirm that Fine Gael undertake, in accordance with the Fine Gael policy on local hospitals, to retain the emergency, surgical, medical and other health services at Roscommon hospital which are present on the formation of the Thirty-First Dáil, and upgrade such services where feasible. I trust this clarifies the matter."

It did clarify the matter, but, unfortunately, the Minister did not follow through on his commitment. Fine Gael was rewarded for its promises to the electorate with two seats out of three in my constituency. It is clear that complement would be smaller if the truth had been told at the time. As a result of these promises, we have a person in Dáil Éireann under false pretences. Strangely enough, before the election, that same person goaded me through the media and told people that an Independent Member would have no power in the Dáil. Whatever power I have, let us consider the power this Member has brought upon us.

We are faced with the potential loss of 700 jobs at MBNA in Carrick-on-Shannon, the imminent closure of the courthouse in the Deputy's town of Boyle, the criminalisation of turf-cutting constituents and - the Deputy's greatest claim to fame - the closure of the accident and emergency service at Roscommon County Hospital. In order to soften our cough, we have in return received funding to upgrade the heating systems in swimming pools in the constituency. The swimming pool in my town made the headlines in the local papers last week, even though its heating system had already been replaced in recent years. The facts did not matter because it was a good news story.

It was bad enough that Fine Gael had gone back on its promise. What is worse is that the party tried to sell its actions to us as being for our own good. Supporters of the retention of the accident and emergency service warned there would not be enough space at University College Hospital, Galway. We were told this would not be a problem, yet less than a month ago the Health Service Executive warned people not to attend the accident and emergency unit there. This advice was contradicted in the House, where we were told that patients should only present if their condition was very serious. Most of those presenting at accident and emergency departments are not doctors. Are they to decide for themselves whether their condition is serious? The overcrowding that was not supposed to occur has, in one day last week, resulted in 52 patients being on trolleys at University College Hospital, Galway.

We were also told that mortality statistics at Roscommon were far worse than those in Galway. To be precise, the Minister stated in the House that outcomes for coronary patients were four times better in Galway than in Roscommon. When these figures were contested by the Hospital Action Committee which would have a representative in this House if the truth had been told, the Minister said the figures would be investigated and the results published. We have yet to hear the result of that inquiry. One can only assume the reason for the delay is that the Hospital Action Committee was proved correct.

Another red herring is that the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, sought the closure of the accident and emergency department at Roscommon County Hospital. The Minister stated the reason for the termination of services was concern for patient safety, as identified by HIQA in its reports on Ennis and Mallow hospitals. However, HIQA has stated clearly it did not recommend the termination of accident and emergency services anywhere. Nor did it specify smaller hospitals or visit any hospitals other than those in Ennis and Mallow in order to assess safety issues. It was the HSE which closed our accident and emergency unit, with the blessing of the Minister.

We were also told that a souped up ambulance service would be provided, with advanced paramedics who would do just as good a job as accident and emergency staff. What we got was one additional ambulance and one additional advanced paramedic. This was the sum total of the resources provided. How can anybody argue that it is adequate? Less than one month ago, only a few miles from my home, a young man had an accident in which he punctured his stomach. The ambulance was called and the new paramedics arrived. They could not even insert a drip. It was only because the young man's mother was a nurse that his life was saved. Who would have taken responsibility if he had died?

We were told this was not about money but about patient safety; however, it is now clear that patient safety has been compromised. All that people were seeking was the retention of accident and emergency services at Roscommon. We simply wanted the port in a storm we had had for decades. Now, in order to create another smokescreen, the Government is telling us about all the great services it is putting in place instead. While these services are welcome, they in no way make up for what was lost. The key word is "emergency", which indicates that one has limited time. With limited time, one requires services to be close by, yet the services which have replaced the accident and emergency unit are accessed by appointment.

We are fortunate in Roscommon to have such an organisation as the Hospital Action Committee. Its members never give up and are now pushing for the provision of a helicopter ambulance service. It is not perfect, but at least it would be something. The committee has set up a charitable company in order to progress its idea. I hope that on this occasion the Government will listen to the people. Lives are being put at risk unnecessarily. None of the promises made to us has been upheld. We were told the new arrangements would be safer for patients, but that has not happened. We warned the Government that the hospitals suggested as alternatives would be overcrowded. We were right. The Government should listen to us when we demand that accident and emergency services at Roscommon County Hospital be restored.

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