Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)

Prior to the last general election, the then Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, gave a public commitment to the people of County Clare. Fianna Fáil candidates in that election gave the same political commitment in all debates that 24-hour accident and emergency services would be retained at Ennis General Hospital and that the hospital would finally receive a capital development allocation of €39 million. These commitments have been given by the Government since 2000, and they ring hollow in 2009.

The people of Clare should have the best possible health care service delivering the best possible medical outcome. Placing 44,000 Clare people outside the reach of golden hour cover is not the answer. Asking people to travel 60, 70 or 80 miles to an accident and emergency department is not the answer. This argument aside, there is insufficient capacity at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick to cope with the extra workload. Where are the 135 beds promised for Limerick? Where are the new ambulances? The new plans provide for eight accident and emergency consultants based in Limerick. There are currently only three with a potential for five, but the two additional posts will not be filled for 18 months.

Instead of creating a centre of excellence in Limerick, a centre of chaos will arise. One need only look at the result of the Government's attempt to centralise services in the north east. In recent weeks, sick people have been lying on trolleys for three days in Our Lady's Hospital in Drogheda. Surgery has been cancelled, there are insufficient beds and medical staff are extremely frustrated.

I plead with the Minister for Health and Children to listen to those at the coal face, to GPs, consultants, nurses and ambulance crews. All these staff groupings have expressed serious concern about the situation, with one consultant threatening to resign. The Minister must learn from the mistakes made in the north east instead of pushing more patients towards the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick, which is already bursting at the seams. The Minister must abandon her plans for the mid-west and abandon this general slash and burn approach. Instead, she must honour the political commitments made by the Government to the people of County Clare.

See this speech in context