Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

What I am trying to get at is the figures that were there when many beds were purposefully closed down. We always refer to our own cases. Half of the 20 beds in Belmullet District Hospital were closed down due to the wisdom of someone within the HSE and what was the Fianna Fáil Government at the time, even though we stated it would be a major mistake. Now there are people in Mayo University Hospital whose wish is to be cared for within the district hospital setting. What are the major hold-ups here? If €500 million is available, what are the blockages that need to be unblocked? Perhaps the witnesses might explain that for us.

Regarding the missed appointments, one of the biggest problems people have is where services are moved - say, to Galway Hospital. I am all for a centre of excellence but also that the other services be provided on the ground. Obviously, the HSE needs the integrated appointments system as well. People do not have the transport, so the public transport is not there to match up with their appointment times. If someone is living on €188 or €200 per week, to get a private operator or individual to bring him or her from, say, Erris to Galway is just way above and beyond his or her means, and this needs to be looked into as well. We had Bus Éireann and the National Transport Authority before us last week, and this is one of the questions we asked, yet they close down routes all the time that connect to the hospitals and the transport connectivity is not there. I think the HSE has a role in this. Actually, they cited that the HSE's response in terms of having a proper integrated transport system was dismal and certainly not consistent.

If we are to solve the problem within the HSE long term, we need to look at the education system. We have a whole cohort of young people doing their leaving certificate this year. They must go through the health professions admission test, HPAT. Obviously, there must be standards, but for people choosing to go down the medical route who are 18 and 19 years of age, that passage needs to be made easier for them. It is not about lowering standards but about the fact that young people who would make excellent doctors and who have a real sense of social justice, equality and fairness are not just driven and motivated by money. What communications do the witnesses have with the Department of Education and Skills in having a real look at the long-term recruitment and long-term education that is needed to give us the numbers of consultants, doctors and so on that we need within the health service?

When will we see a proper, purpose-built hospital at Merlin Park? The former Taoiseach cited several years ago that the regional hospital in Galway was not fit for purpose.