Ms Marie McMahon:

I mentioned earlier the figure of 400,000-plus people in our region. We are the only region with one hospital. The one nearest to us, with three accident and emergency departments, is the Cork-Kerry region, and those departments each serve a population of 230,000. Even if we had an additional accident and emergency department, therefore, we would still be near the bottom but at least we would not be deprived. As I said, there is always a furore now about Letterkenny hospital. In the Saolta university hospital group district, there is an accident and emergency department for every 120,000 people. I just read recently, and this is something I have to follow up on, that there are plans to upgrade the hospital in County Mayo, which is also in the Saolta district. If it can be done there, and if the politicians can make such a fuss over the hospital in Letterkenny, why can we not have the same in counties Clare, Tipperary and Limerick?

This is all we are asking for. We are only asking to be treated with equality. As was said earlier, we are second-class citizens in our regions when it comes to healthcare provision. It is not right. I meet people all the time, as we all do, and I am sure the members of the committee could back this up as well, including in County Clare, who tell me they have told their families that if they get sick, need an ambulance and have to go to the hospital in Limerick, to please leave them at home to die. When people are talking like that, something is fundamentally wrong. When the majority of our politicians, and I am sorry to Deputy O'Donoghue, because I do not mean all politicians, are not prepared to listen, then something is wrong. All we are asking for is equality, that we do not keep suffering and that people will not have this fear. Fear does not help when you are not well. It brings you down even further. I just wanted to clarify this point.