Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for coming to the House to answer this issue. The fact that 4,600 patients or more are involved is enough for this to be a major source of anxiety in the area. The Minister referred to the Neary affair in Drogheda and the length of time it took to deal with the situation. Nearer home, there was the death of Ms McCabe and her child in childbirth as a result of staffing problems. There is no doubt there is a difficulty with staffing issues. It may be a different sector but it is the same problem.

Some years ago I lost a 62 year old cousin as a result of failure to diagnose through X-ray. It was not until the woman went to Northern Ireland that the situation was disclosed. She was told if she had been diagnosed six weeks earlier she would have had a chance of surviving. I am conscious of the anxiety of these patients. We need to get to the bottom of these issues and ensure that the best personnel are in place. Is the Minister satisfied that we are getting these personnel in the north east? Recently, I noticed the HSE advertised for consultants. The number of those coming to the north east, if any, is limited. We deserve as good a service as anywhere else. Will the Minister ensure that where possible fully qualified people deal with the situation and we are not depending on locums?

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