Joe Callanan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the debate. I served on a health board from 1985 to 2002 and I have seen huge improvements in services. A total of 95% of patients who attend hospital are very satisfied with the care and services they receive. Waiting lists for many operations, especially hip operations, have been greatly reduced. If one is on a waiting list for a hip operation for six months, the National Treatment Purchase Fund will find a bed for the patient in a private hospital. I remember when one might wait up to four years for an appointment.

Our hospitals have more nurses, consultants and care staff than ever. I congratulate the hospitals in my locality, University College Hospital, Galway, Merlin Park Hospital and Portiuncula Hospital, which are providing a great service to a greatly increased population. I look forward to the provision of a new accident and emergency department in Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe. This will provide far better facilities for the workers and patients. The unit is at present extremely restricted for space.

With regard to services for the elderly in east Galway, I welcome the proposal to build an 80-bed community nursing home at St. Brendan's Hospital, Loughrea, to replace the old buildings there. I compliment the nurses and care staff of St. Brendan's for the excellent care they give to the patients. I also welcome the proposal for a 60-bed community nursing home in Ballinasloe to cater for the needs of the elderly in that area and in St. Brigid's Hospital. I compliment the nurses and staff of St. Brigid's psychiatric hospital in Ballinasloe who give great care to their patients. Numbers in the hospital have been greatly reduced. A great deal of work has been done to move most of the patients into the community, which is most welcome.

I urge the Minister to proceed with the proposal to build a psychiatric unit in Portiuncula Hospital as planned. It is now accepted that psychiatric patients should be treated on the same site as the main general hospital. I welcome the proposed new hospital campus for Tuam. This will take pressure off the Galway hospitals and will cater for less severe cases in the Tuam catchment area.

I welcome the increase in the number of people with medical cards and doctor-only cards. Owing to substantial increases in the income thresholds to qualify for doctor-only cards, approximately 30% of the population will qualify for them. These people will also qualify for the drug repayment scheme, whereby no family unit need pay more than €85 per month for drugs. Holders of full medical cards are entitled to free treatment in hospitals as outpatients and as inpatients in public beds. People who opt to take a public bed in a hospital pay less than €100 per night for ten days and the bed is free for any time after that. This is a great service as patients who find themselves in hospital for long periods need not pay after ten days. In all the debate on the health services, these services are not highlighted enough. Most countries do not provide such a free health service and if people get sick, they are faced with huge medical bills.

I welcome the increase in nursing home subvention from €190 to €300. It is still not enough but the increase is particularly welcome in the west, where nursing home subvention was far too low compared to other parts of the country. In community care, I welcome the increase in the income disregard whereby a married couple can have an income of up to €640 and qualify for carer's allowance. Furthermore, a widow can qualify for carer's allowance of €105 in addition to her widow's pension if she is caring for somebody. I also welcome the increase in the respite care grant.

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