James Breen (Clare, Independent)

Now the Government is in pre-election mode and the budget is almost upon us, I presume we can expect to see grandiose public announcements of promises and proposed projects aimed at curing all the ills in our health service. The reality, unfortunately, is very different.

Successive Ministers for Health and Children in this Government have failed to provide a quality care service for the Irish people. My constituency of Clare provides as bleak a picture as can be found anywhere. This week a Fianna Fáil Senator announced that a CT scanner would soon be installed in Ennis General Hospital. In June I asked the Minister when we could expect to see this machine. Despite the usual promise of an early response from the HSE, no reply ever materialised. The non-reply has become a frequent feature of the HSE. If the scanner is to arrive, I will welcome it but in early September the same Senator promised that architect's plans for Ennis General Hospital would be lodged with Clare County Council within two weeks but no such plans have been lodged.

In Clare, under this Government, there are plans to downgrade Ennis General Hospital's accident and emergency department, leaving the whole of the county dependent on Limerick for doctor-led accident and emergency services. In east Clare there is no 24 hour cover.

Any child seeking orthodontic services faces a trip to Limerick, necessitating extra time off work for a parent who wishes to gain access to this service. There is little hope of treatment due to the shambolic approach of the HSE in recruiting orthodontists. But for the goodwill, commitment and efficiency of Dr. Ted McNamara, young people in the area would have no orthodontic service at all.

Anyone requiring orthopaedic surgery faces a similar fate, having to travel to Tuam, even further away, for assessment. There is then a long wait before treatment. This week I was informed by the hospital in Tuam that the consultant dealing with cases from County Clare has retired and has not been replaced. Consequently, public patients from Clare are now an even lower priority.

There are no maternity services in Clare and the maternity hospital in Limerick has a fine new extension but no staff to run it. It is time the Government took strong action. Proper community based support centres and teams should be established in strategic geographical locations to limit the time lost before emergency assessment and initial treatment are provided. It is time to change the training culture for surgeons and consultants. Shift work must be made part of their working conditions in order that theatres can be used seven days per week, including nights and weekends, to eliminate shameful waiting lists.

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