Dáil debates

Wednesday, 6 February 2008

Health Services: Motion (Resumed)

 

8:00 pm

Photo of Paul KehoePaul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I support the motion. We are discussing cystic fibrosis and the need for psychiatric assistance for young people. I wish to refer first to cystic fibrosis.

The campaign relating to cystic fibrosis has been highlighted on Joe Duffy's "Liveline", in national and local newspapers, on local radio stations and on "Prime Time" and "The Late Late Show" in recent weeks. The Government has failed to implement the recommendations of the Pollock report. All the Minister, Deputy Harney, and her numerous Ministers of State need do in respect of this matter is examine what is happening in Northern Ireland and other European Union countries and consider the facilities that are available for cystic fibrosis sufferers in these jurisdictions. As Deputy Joe Carey stated, the one thing cystic fibrosis sufferers do not have is time. The Government has been in power for ten years and has failed to provide assistance for cystic fibrosis sufferers.

I listened with interest to the comments made by Deputy White who has been totally whitewashed. It is amazing that she stated she was satisfied that adequate funding would be provided for facilities for cystic fibrosis sufferers in the coming years. I assure the Minister of State, Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher, that if Deputy White was on this side of the House, she would be shouting loudly at Members on the Government side. I am jealous that her party is in government. However, I have standards and would not like to be in government just for the sake of it. That is the position in which the Green Party finds itself.

On psychiatric facilities, particularly those for younger people, I was visited by a parent at my clinic last Saturday. Deputy Collins stated that, in the context of the health service, everything was not all doom and gloom. I invite him to visit my clinic, which lasts one and a half hours, next Saturday. I will even pay for his train or bus journey or perhaps he may wish to drive to Enniscorthy. I will provide him with examples that everything relating to the health service is all doom and gloom. I have no doubt that he was provided with a lovely script by the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. As the Minister was not present to read her script, she gave it to the Deputy who did a fine job of reading it into the record. The people of County Limerick will be very proud of him. However, those within the health service who face real difficulties will not be too happy with him. He is a yes man and afraid to stand up and be counted.

I commend Deputy Conlon for what she said. However, I must ask if will she vote with the Opposition or the Government. I have no doubt that it will be the latter.

A 15 year old girl in the children's ward in Wexford General Hospital has been waiting four weeks to be transferred to a child-adolescent bed in a psychiatric hospital in Dublin. I accept that the Minister of State will not be able to provide an answer this evening but perhaps he or an official from the Department of Health and Children might indicate at a later date the number of child-adolescent beds available throughout the country. If he could communicate further with me on this matter, I would be grateful. I have been informed that there are eight such beds. I do not want to believe that is the case. If there are only eight child-adolescent beds, it is a matter of shame for the Government which has been in power for ten years. What should I say to the parent of the child to whom I refer? What would Deputy Collins say to the individual in question? He is of the view that everything is okay but I am not.

I have attacked the Green Party in recent weeks and will continue to do so because its members have no standards whatsoever. I commend the motion to the House and congratulate Deputy Reilly on bringing it forward.

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