Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

When does the Tánaiste expect to receive the report, and why has she not yet received it? Can she say when it was concluded, and to whom it has been presented? Has it been given to the Walsh family, or has the family seen it?

In the wake of the tragic and unavoidable death of Pat Joe Walsh, the Tánaiste said:

Regardless of what policy operates in any particular hospital, there is no excuse for anybody dying unnecessarily because they cannot get access to appropriate medical care.

Does the Tánaiste accept that what is at issue here is not the policy in Monaghan General Hospital? Does she accept that the issue is the policy she and her Department have been pursuing, and the HSE embargo on acute surgical emergencies being dealt with at Monaghan General Hospital? Those are the underlying contributory factors. The embargo meant that members of staff at Monaghan General Hospital were prevented from performing a life-saving operation on Pat Joe Walsh. Does the Tánaiste accept that the members of staff at the hospital want to be able to deal with emergencies, that they want accident and emergency services restored to the hospital, and that they have the wholehearted support for the community?

Does the Tánaiste remember that in September 2005, the month prior to the tragic death of Pat Joe Walsh, all the consultant surgeons at the Cavan and Monaghan hospital sites made a public appeal for Monaghan General Hospital to be allowed to go back on call for surgical emergencies? After all that has happened, will the Tánaiste now, belatedly, listen to that appeal and help to avoid further tragedies being visited on our families in County Monaghan, so many of whom have now suffered the avoidable loss of one of their number?

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