Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)

Deputy Quinn is correct. It is better to say it was deliberately wrong. This unit will close for a month, which will affect people scheduled for treatment in December, but it will also have a knock-on effect on every month during 2008. Each of the approximately 500 patients on the waiting list will suffer because of this cutback. It is wrong and deliberately untrue to continue saying only six people will be affected. Many more people will be affected. These patients will be left in serious pain.

Why were the consultants not informed when the decision was taken to close this unit? It is a disgrace that consultants who know how much pain patients are suffering were not even consulted about the closure of the unit. How is it safe for patients for someone to decide at the stroke of a pen to close this unit? This is a disgrace.

I accept the Minister may not have all the answers today but I have some questions to put to him. Why were the consultants not consulted on this serious decision? Why are the patients the ones who will suffer due to cutbacks when we were promised they would not? Does the Minister care about Our Lady's Hospital in Navan or this orthopaedic unit?

I did not receive any answers in the Minister's replies to parliamentary questions I tabled in recent days. She informed me it is not her responsibility. What exactly is the Minister for Health and Children supposed to do if not be in charge of our hospitals? It is ridiculous to say it is not her responsibility. Will the Government step in and prevent the closure of this unit? Will the Minister accept the figure of six patients is incorrect and totally and utterly misleading? Will the unit be fully operational in January?

If the unit is closed in December, no pre-operation assessment cases can be dealt with, so no patients will be ready for operation in January. In effect, this would result in two months of closure, which would be very serious. I seek clarification on this point. How much money does the Minister for Health and Children intend to save by closing the unit for a month? When a manager is absent due to illness, he or she can be replaced by a memo sent around the health service to find a replacement. A manager can be replaced but in this case it appears a unit must be closed.

Last April or May, prior to the election, we were promised in a big announcement by the Minister, Deputy Dempsey, that Our Lady's Hospital, Navan was due to get a medical assessment unit which would solve the problems experienced by the casualty department. We were promised it would open in July 2007 but construction has not even started yet and it is not due to open until 2008. This is another promise on which we have been let down.

We were also led to believe the medical assessment unit would be a permanent one but we have learned since the initial announcement that it is an interim unit which will close in 2009. Why are the people of the north east expected by the Government to accept a second-class health service? This is not good enough. People are suffering and will continue to suffer. What does the Government intend to do?

I have respect for the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Gormley, but I no longer respect the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, since she got her figures wrong. I hope the Minister will bring the message to the Government that the north east can no longer endure constant cutbacks.

Since the election three announcements have been made about Navan Hospital: first, the closure of this unit; second, that there would be no medical assessment unit; and third, the withdrawal of cancer services. I am convinced all this information was available prior to the election. It was misleading and a con job not to have told people the truth in the north east. For years the people there have suffered from a lack of investment in the health service, yet they are expected to continue accepting the situation. This is not good enough.

It was confirmed during the week by the Health Service Executive's regional network manager that many vacant posts in the north east were not filled in 2007. Therefore, the current cutbacks do not look as bad as they would otherwise have. We do not appear to have to cut back as much as is actually the case. Posts were deliberately not filled in order to save money and it was decided to postpone the bad news regarding cutbacks for November and December. We need answers.

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