Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)

I also welcome the Minister of State to the House to speak briefly on the issue concerning one of, if not the most, geographically peripheral hospital, Bantry General. It is an old hobby-horse of mine. I was involved in the action committee back in the 1980s.

There is grave concern at present and a public meeting is being called by a member of the Minister of State's party on Friday night to address a couple of issues. First, the reconfiguration of the ambulance service seems to indicate there will be a loss of acute ambulance services in the peninsular and west Cork regions, places such as Mizen Head and Allihies. Many people do not realise when they talk of being close to the hospital that the nearest hospital, Cork University Hospital, is roughly a two and a half hours drive on somewhat unconducive roads.

Bantry General Hospital currently has an accident and emergency unit of sorts. It is not in the full sense of what that means, but there is a 24 hour, seven day a week service there. In the event of a casualty, it has probably one of the finest intensive care units in Ireland. There are four excellent consultants in Bantry General Hospital. There are cutbacks in different departments and there is a grave fear that, whether it is the ambulance reconfiguration or the reduction of the number of consultants from four to three, any diminution of services would create havoc in this area.

The population base for Bantry General Hospital is approximately 65,000 and takes in a little of south Kerry as well. The important point to note is that not that long ago the hospital had a maternity unit, which is now closed and which we accept will never reopen. What the public will not accept is a scenario where current services, including the assessment unit and minor injuries unit, would be closed at weekends or even during the week by operating on an 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. basis. This would create considerable difficulties because we are so far away from the centre of attention. We will never get a cancer unit or full cardiac unit in the hospital but what we have, we should hold.

The public, public representatives across party lines and the HSE agreed to the reconfiguration of services so that there would be an improvement. We have a relatively new hospital. A couple of Ministers have visited it over the years. It was only built in 1960. The theatres are under-utilised, and in the reconfiguration it was hoped that a consultant for day elective surgery procedures would come, possibly from Tralee or Cork, and at least keep the flag flying there.

The purpose of my motion is that there are concerns. I am not one for public meetings, major protests or whatever. I seek reassurance from the Minister of State, Deputy Shortall, or the Minister, Deputy Reilly, that the facilities in Bantry General Hospital which are not utopian, as we would like to have them, but for which we have fought for several decades will be retained and that there will be no diminution of services, whether it be ambulance services, a reduction in the number of consultants or the removal of its 24-7 facilities.