Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that. I apologise for cutting across Ms Hetherington. We have very limited time when we get to speak here. I want to discuss my local hospital group, the University of Limerick Hospitals Group. Perhaps Ms Hetherington can come in on that also. First I want to ask Ms Ní Sheaghdha and Ms McGowan if it concerns them that the management of this hospital group have upped sticks from the University Hospital Limerick, UHL, environment and moved 2 km up the road to an office building far removed from the clinical environment. I have been told by some people in senior management that nurses are delighted they have upped sticks and moved out of the hospital. I think it is the opposite.

When I was a teacher, our principal was based in the school, not down the road. In a local Garda station the sergeant and inspector are based on campus. I find it incredible that this move has happened, given that it is the most pressurised hospital in our system and persistently has the worst waiting times and trolley numbers. The management has been tasked with running it by the Government, the HSE and the Department of Health. This is not personal but operationally, at least, they should be based in the hospital not up in an office block far removed from where their nurses, doctors, cleaning staff and attendants are under pressure. Is it an issue? Is the INMO concerned about it? Are the nurses in UHL concerned that managers are not present on the hospital campus?