Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

At a time when the Government is planning a pre-local election spending spree on health, which would see the opening of hundreds of new beds, the appointment of up to 1,500 additional staff and the commissioning of new hospital facilities worth approximately €400 million, the authorities in Tralee General Hospital, County Kerry, are being forced to close a ward for three months over the summer because they do not have enough money to allow for staff locums when they are on holidays. This means the waiting list for elective procedures, such as very simple ones for gall stones and varicose veins, will increase. No non-urgent patients will be seen in the out-patients section during the period. At present, there are up to 2,000 patients waiting to be seen in this category, many of whom have undiagnosed cancers. This unacceptable wait has led to a legal case because a cancer was not diagnosed in time.

In addition, the population of County Kerry swells during the months of July, August and September. The influx of thousands of tourists puts further pressure on the services at Tralee General Hospital. Surely, it is not fair, just or responsible to reduce services in what is Ireland's and one of Europe's best-known destinations at this time of the year.

The proposed ward closure is bad for patient care and divisive for the staff. With proper funding for the hospital, this closure would not be necessary. The hospital was under-funded by €2.5 million in 2003 and it is under-funded by at least €1.5 million in 2004. A day surgery ward was provided and equipped but lies empty and unused because there is no money to staff it.

Elderly patients with broken hips and patients who require major surgery for cancer have had their surgery delayed because of the lack of intensive care beds. These delays increase the mortality and the morbidity of the surgery. A high dependency unit has been equipped and would solve the intensive care problem, but there is no budget to staff it.

The hospital only recently received money for a third obstetrician, a general surgeon and an orthopaedic surgeon, years after similar appointments have been made in equivalent hospitals elsewhere. Indeed, those hospitals are now on the way to appointing a fourth consultant. The hospital is still without the services of a cardiologist despite that the death rate from cardiac diseases in County Kerry is the highest in the country. There are many other problems. When clerical staff go on holidays, for example, there is nobody to provide a locum so the correspondence and work piles up and awaits them on their return.

Patients in County Kerry do not receive fair treatment. This is a direct result of Government underfunding of Tralee General Hospital. There are no corresponding cuts in Cork and we do not see the same hardships there. Unfortunately, however, Tralee General Hospital, which serves County Kerry and a much larger population during the summer months, is subject to blatant discrimination. I hope the Minister of State will have good news for the staff, patients and consultants at the hospital and for the people of Kerry.

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