Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)

They were trying to draw attention to the problem which exists. They are afraid and frightened not only for themselves, but for their children and the communities they represent. We have had different messages coming from Government. One Deputy has stated there is no threat to services, but another Deputy is unsure.

What will happen to the National Children's Hospital in Tallaght? Last year, 67,221 patients went through the National Children's Hospital, such is its scale. We can discuss the movement to the Mater Hospital. I surveyed the time it takes to go to the Mater Hospital from Tallaght Hospital. It took me an hour and a half to get there. A colleague, one of our local councillors, managed to get there in less than an hour by car but not in peak-time traffic.

If between 3,500 and 4,000 people marched on the streets on a Saturday, this must be motivating people. Tallaght is one of the most densely populated areas on the island, and it has the most rapidly growing population. It has the largest proportion of people of child-bearing age and young people. Yet we have the real prospect of losing a vital paediatric service from the area. It is being conveniently moved to the Taoiseach's constituency, but that is a discussion for another day.

We are interested in what is in the best interests of children in the area we represent. That is what the issue is about. We are more interested in seeing a positive conclusion to this, and we want to know what will be the future of the hospital. Will the Minister provide that answer? It does not appear possible to give the answer through parliamentary questions or otherwise. In that vacuum, people's fears are growing. The experiment of travelling from Tallaght to the Mater Hospital highlighted a number of issues including the traffic problem. It also highlights a danger for families with extremely sick children. A number of people I know have had children with meningitis, for example, and the hospital being on their doorstep saved the children's lives.

This will certainly be an election issue, although we are not looking for an answer because of that. We need those answers for the people living in that area to cut across all the uncertainty and worry that is out there, particularly for families. At a public meeting, a member of the board told people the hospital was closed, and if a child gets a sore throat, he or she would have to got the Mater Hospital. I do not know if that is the case, but we are entitled to answers.

Instead of the population decreasing as it is in other parts of the city, Tallaght's population is expanding. The other worry with regard to south-side services relates to the facilities in Crumlin. Consultants there have stated they were not consulted on this closure. There is a worry of whether there is enough space in the Mater Hospital and if there will be services for families to stay overnight and so on.

As anyone in Dublin knows, it is easier to get out of the city centre than it is to get in. If a person has a sick child on the outskirts of the city, the worry is how to get into the city centre. If a person does not have access to a helicopter or a private car, that person relies on public transport. We know how clogged up the roads are.

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