Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)

——and how it will impact on local services. It has already had a significant impact in south Tipperary over the past three weeks, particularly in the hospital in Clonmel which has seen the closure of one operating theatre and six surgical beds. There has also been a reduction in operations and elective procedures and a restriction on day cases to essential day case gynaecological procedures only. These changes have been brought about after only three weeks of a so-called temporary freeze which the Minister has tried to convince us would not compromise patient care.

I urge the Minister to listen to what we are saying and inform us how increased pressure on already short-staffed wards does not impact on patient care. How does the cancellation of psychological services, physiotherapy, respite care and home help services for patients with debilitating neurological disorders not adversely affect patient care? How does cancelling dental treatment for children in Dublin not adversely affect patient care? What level of care is the Minister using to assess patient care when she makes that statement?

The Minister should leave the nurses alone and tackle management. That is where we have failed in every debate since we started discussing health services. In the old health boards and in the present structure, we have failed to tackle mismanagement in the health service, and I beg the Minister to do something constructive about that.

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