Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank all our guests from the HSE. It is quite a lengthy plan so I have read the parts relevant to my own region. I thank the HSE for the opening statements. I followed most of the meeting from my office because I am juggling a few other meetings, as are most Teachtaí Dála.

My questions are quite region-specific. This Saturday after lunch there will be another large protest and public meeting in Ennis on the general hospital. The feeling in the region is it should have a far more major part in meeting the public healthcare need. What can the HSE officials say to people in Clare and the mid-west about the capacity beyond University Hospital Limerick, UHL? I raised this in the Dáil just last week with the Taoiseach and have raised it with the Minister. There must be an answer in the region beyond UHL. I believe that answer is in St. Johns, Ennis and Nenagh. What reassurance can the officials give the people of the mid-west that the HSE is committed to bolstering public healthcare capacity in that region?