Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yes, Chairman, but strategies must be based on what is happening at present. There is a shortage of theatre staff. What measures are being taken to address it? I find it difficult to rely on the demand and service supply statistics being quoted. My experience on the ground would differ from those quoted. Has there been an administrative change in definitions for waiting lists, service activities and throughput activity? It seems there is an unchallenged ministerial and departmental view that primary care will cost considerably less than hospital-based services. I contend this is not necessarily so and I would like to hear the views of the witness.

What is the role of the so-called smaller hospitals? If one looks at a map of Ireland, public services in the west and north west are markedly less than in other areas of the country. Will the concept of the golden hour continue to apply in relation to Sligo regional hospital and Letterkenny hospital? What happens to the strategy if and when the financial projections fail to materialise? Why do we still have patients travelling from the west and the north west to attend specialist consultants in Dublin when there is an IT infrastructure, where a consultant could talk to a consultant with the patient and look at the scans. Why are we not exploiting the existing technology and saving the patients from travelling from the far ends of the country to Dublin?