Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Gabhaim buiochas leis an Ceann Comhairle as an deis seo chun géarchéim na noispidéil a chur arís os comhair na Dála.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for this opportunity to again put before the Minister for Health and Children and the Dáil the crisis facing communities, patients and health care workers in Counties Cavan and Monaghan if the Minister and the Health Service Executive proceed with their plan to finally destroy Monaghan General Hospital and to push Cavan General Hospital to breaking point.

My raising the crisis today is prompted by this week's open letter from 41 general practitioners in Counties Cavan and Monaghan expressing alarm regarding the safety of the proposed ending of acute inpatient care at Monaghan General Hospital and the replacement of its 56 beds with six medical assessment unit beds in Cavan General Hospital. The letter announced the withdrawal of GP representation from HSE planning groups on the so-called transformation of hospital services in Cavan and Monaghan.

The withdrawal of the GPs removes the HSE's last pretence that this process has anything to do with improved patient care or moving care closer to the patient. These key primary health care providers have made clear that the safety of patients will be at risk if acute inpatient care at Monaghan is axed as planned.

The Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney must listen to the GPs who are saying that the safety implications of the plan are such that they require the HSE to provide a full independent risk assessment of the closure of the 56 beds and of the capacity of GPs to provide a safe service in such circumstances.

It is very significant that the GPs have pointed out that the HSE is attempting to replace 56 acute medical beds in Monaghan with six beds in the medical assessment unit in Cavan General Hospital. The GPs do not regard this as a replacement, and rightly so. It represents a cut in services overall and will place an untenable burden on an already over-stretched Cavan General Hospital. If the Minister for Health and Children and the HSE refuse to act on the call of the Cavan-Monaghan GPs, the gross irresponsibility of their plans will be more clearly exposed than ever.

Today the County Monaghan domiciled Deputies for Cavan and Monaghan met with the Minister for Health and Children, Professor Brendan Drumm, chief executive officer of the HSE, and Michael Scanlon, Secretary General of the Department of Health and Children. I have no hesitation in stating that there was no real engagement with the Minister, Deputy Harney, for whom the meeting appeared to be little more than a sufferance. While Professor Drumm did engage, it was deeply disappointing that he concluded by reaffirming that the HSE's pace of change will proceed. That is most worrying and, with potentially very serious consequences for me, my family, my community, my county and my constituency. At this 11th hour I urge that the madness now stop.

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