Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their presentations and contributions. I commend the work that has gone into their campaign. The collection of the 15,000 signatures is extremely significant, as is the time they have spent on this matter, raising it as best they could. I have several points I wish to raise and then one or two questions, which I might just leave until the end.

Between them, the four witnesses have touched on all the most important aspects of access to healthcare. It is about equity and equity of resources, especially for the mid-west. It is important to note that, from the start, with the then Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, right through to now with the Taoiseach and the current Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, there has been an admittance of the failings in the downgrading of the accident and emergency departments.

There is this so-called centre for excellence, which I call a centre for chaos, because that is our experience on the ground. There is such fear among rural constituents that they do not want to attend the emergency departments. It is so prominent, especially among the elderly, who are terrified that they will ever have to face the emergency department and what their experience will be.

I express my condolences to Marie McMahon regarding her husband. I commend her because she shows so much strength each time she speaks about that horrible situation and experience and how it continues to impact her family to this day. It is important to say that.

Some speakers have discussed information they have received. They are referring to the recent UHL briefing we all attended during which many of us raised points around the diminishing access to healthcare because it is not just the emergency department there. Our guests have rightly pointed to Shannondoc and the issues around access to that out-of-hours service and how inconsistent it can be, including how it just fell apart completely last Christmas. Calls were not answered and people did not get the necessary access they required at the time.

Then there is the loss of the maternity unit. Ms Tonge mentioned that. I am thinking of my own experience of having to deliver a baby on the side of the road. I was lucky, it went fine, but the anxiety and anticipation of facing into that is something I hear quite often, especially from women out in west Clare. They have often had to deliver by themselves without any medical assistance whatever; just them on their couch with their sister or mother helping. They know this happens. Many pregnant women who are far from emergency departments are suffering a lot of anxiety when pregnant, which is unfortunate. Ms McMahon also mentioned fear. It is the most negative emotion we can experience and it has detrimental impacts on our mental well-being and our health.

Reconfiguration failed because it was not backed up with resources and funding. Consultants have noted this. The acknowledgement of failure was one thing but the fact it has not been backed up since by any long-term plan or the resources necessary to pave the way to that result has been a disgrace, to put it mildly. I have been trying to follow up on this. I had a meeting with Bernard Gloster. He said his hands were tied and it was a policy decision and has to come from the Government. I have chased that up with the Minister or HSE and tried to come at it from a different angle to ascertain the costings required to pave that pathway, but they have been unable to give me any costings so far. When it comes to who is responsible for outlining that plan and how we get there, one will point to the other. The HSE points will point to the Government and the Government will point to the HSE. That has been frustrating.

The numbers attending the emergency department in UHL who do not receive care was highlighted in the summer. It it is nearly 10,000. That is of huge concern and the writing is on the wall for the reasons the campaigners have outlined. They must reinstate the Ennis emergency department. I know our guests support the reinstatement of the three emergency departments. I would prioritise Ennis because I am based in Clare.

Deputy McNamara mentioned the critical care unit. At the UHL briefing, it was mentioned it would put lives in danger were they to reinstate the emergency department without the critical care unit. I was confused because why would you say you would reinstate an emergency department without putting in place a critical care unit? This is something the campaigners here have felt and experienced.

Did the committee request that a Minister would attend? Did they come back on that? The campaign group met with the various health spokespersons from each of the parties. Did any of those spokespersons give a commitment by their respective parties to reinstate the emergency departments? Individual TDs and Senators may speak in support of reinstatement but I am yet to get that commitment from parties. Have they received that? Ms McMahon gave a figure of 514 who may have died since this group submitted its petition to the committee. That is shocking and a damning indictment on the current Government and its instance of sticking with the policy it has in place.