Dáil debates

Wednesday, 11 May 2005

 

Accident and Emergency Services: Motion (Resumed).

7:00 pm

Photo of Cecilia KeaveneyCecilia Keaveney (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)

This is a very serious issue. I was convenor of the health committee in the previous Dáil and it was one of the major issues that came before us. I am disappointed by the motion because it misses the core issue. It talks about how drunk people who end up in accident and emergency departments should be treated and charged but it ignores why they are there in the first place. There is no suggestion or inclusion of any measure to tackle binge drinking. When we talk about matters like waste management, we always talk about reducing the problem as the first step. If the problem lies in people arriving seriously inebriated in accident and emergency units either because they have drunk so much that their stomachs must be pumped out or because of injuries caused by their excessive drinking, we should try to tackle the culture of drinking. I am not a killjoy and I enjoy a drink as much as most people in the House. However, we need to examine Ireland's image abroad, which is of a country where people drink until they fall down and then potentially cause problems in accident and emergency units. While the motion deals with accident and emergency departments, it would have been helpful to have had a discussion regarding how we can tackle the core problem associated with alcohol.

Excessive drinking leads to people going to hospital and alcohol can mask medical problems with potentially serious results, a problem which was alluded to by the two previous speakers.

The Government amendment talks about recognising the pressure on some of our accident and emergency departments, acknowledges that alcohol abuse is a significant contributory factor and refers to the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children increasing her determination to bring about improvements in accident and emergency services. I congratulate the staff in Letterkenny General Hospital which deals with this issue every weekend. The hospital needs additional space and its application for a number of additional units is before the Department of Health and Children. It is important that lack of space is addressed and that people have sufficient space to deal with patients. If a person becomes rowdy or aggressive, the problem for staff and other patients is compounded by lack of space. An example I was told about by an accident and emergency nurse involved a girl of 14 who was brought into hospital and had to have her stomach pumped out. When staff spoke to her later, she said she had spent almost €100 on drink but could not remember how many drinks she had drunk. When asked how many rounds she had bought, she said she had only bought drink for herself. This leads to the bigger question of why people from that age drink so much.

We must promote responsible drinking and examine the role of everyone in the community in tackling this issue. Hospitals need the necessary facilities, such as more space and more beds in Letterkenny General Hospital, to deal with people. The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children intends to further the ten-point plan by ensuring the necessary accident and emergency services are provided there. It is too bad that, for example, the coffee dock in Letterkenny General Hospital is sometimes closed due to lack space for A&E and surgical cases.

I look forward to the implementation of the capital plan with regard to accident and emergency services. I would have preferred if tonight's debate could have addressed the core issue of alcohol abuse but perhaps it could be debated in future Private Members' or Government time. We shy away from it and it is time we faced up to it and see if we can work together to find solutions.

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