Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Dan Neville for allowing me to go ahead of him as I have an urgent appointment elsewhere.

The north east hospital situation is in crisis, including Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. Serious concerns raised by cancer X-rays have recently been brought to light. There is no clarity and no objectivity and we do not know what is going on. The HSE is releasing information bit by bit. These concerns are serious and have been evident for some time. The HSE has not appointed radiographers, which it ought to have done, as recommended by the former health board. There has been a deficit of full-time professional staff to read X-rays and a lack of commitment by the HSE to the entire north east, particularly Drogheda and its hospital.

I am deeply saddened by the news I heard tonight that the new north-eastern hospital will not be located in Drogheda but in County Meath, at Navan. Drogheda will have a population of 90,000 people in the near future, it has rail links, motorway links, it is beside the airport and is at the centre of the growth of population. The people of Drogheda and those in the surrounding county, as well as in east Meath, will absolutely resist the removal of the centre of excellence at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. That hospital has been run down by the HSE.

Professor Carney, the leading professional cancer consultant in the north east for over 17 years, resigned last October because he was not consulted about changes being made to breast cancer services vis-À-vis staff at the hospital. He recently withdrew his resignation, which the HSE did not accept. I wish to quote directly from and place on the record of the House his letter of 7 March 2008, when he wrote to the chief executive of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. Professor Carney is a national figure dealing with oncology and cancer. He is an absolute professional who is totally dedicated to the north east and has been for 17 years. In his letter he states that he withdrew his resignation because:

I now realise, for a variety of reasons, that it has not been possible to make the arrangements that would allow a smooth transition of care, particularly of patients currently undergoing active chemotherapy treatment, for newly diagnosed patients, or indeed for patients receiving chemotherapy for recurrent cancer. Moreover, arrangements are not in place for the follow up and support of patients who have attended our clinic for a number of years and who, for one reason or another, have become dependent upon us.

All of the above has led to considerable stress and uncertainty for patients, their family and for the oncology staff in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.

The HSE is an absolute disgrace. It is running down the hospital and allowing a situation to pertain whereby the patients of the most eminent professor in oncology and cancer care in this country will not, in his medical opinion, be properly looked after. Professor Carney is not being allowed to continue to treat those patients until the transition, as he points out in his letter, is in place. It is unacceptable and is an appalling, shameful situation for which the Government is totally responsible.

It is a sign of how bad things are that, having gone through the Celtic tiger era, the Government is now destroying a fantastic hospital in Drogheda, which employs more than 1,500 people. Those people will not now be able to work in the place where they live but, more importantly, the cancer care to which patients are entitled, and which Professor Carney wants to provide, will not be provided. He is not satisfied that adequate and proper arrangements are in place for their medical care. This is the worst story that could ever be visited upon cancer patients in the north east, many of whom are breast cancer sufferers. They have been abandoned by the HSE and by the Government. I ask the Minister of State to respond to this issue.

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