Jimmy Devins (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I congratulate the Minister on her achievements during her first year in office. She set out her stall quite clearly as to what she wants to achieve. I am vice-chairman of the Joint Committee on Health and Children and she attended the committee each time we asked her to do so. She has at all times been up-front and practical. One of the goals she set herself is to tackle the accident and emergency crisis. It is well recognised that a major help in ensuring accident and emergency units function efficiently is the presence of acute medical assessment units. In that regard, I ask the Minister to help expedite the establishment of such a unit at Sligo General Hospital.

The use of units such as this in other hospitals in the State has been shown to be of great benefit in reducing the waiting times in accident and emergency. Sligo General Hospital staff have prepared an extremely cost-effective plan for the establishment of such a unit. I have no doubt that such a unit will be of great help in ensuring the efficient workings of the accident and emergency unit in that hospital.

The Minister has made it her priority to deal with the accident and emergency crisis and I commend her for the progress to date. I have no doubt that the speedy establishment of the acute medical unit in Sligo will be an important facility to complement the great work done there by the accident and emergency staff in dealing with the various medical and surgical problems presented to the unit. Will the Minister use her good offices to get that unit sanctioned as soon as possible.

Another unit which is of great interest to those living in the north west is the provision of radiotherapy services. This is an area about which I have spoken to the Minister previously and I know she will be meeting a delegation from the north-west region shortly to discuss the provision of such a radiotherapy unit. It is an issue on which there is great degree of cross-party support in the House. At the recent Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis in Killarney, a unanimous motion was passed requesting the establishment of such a radiotherapy unit.

I look forward to discussing the issue more fully with the Minister in the near future and I commend the amendment to the House.

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