Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"—strongly endorses the Government's commitment to patient safety, quality and fairness as the priorities in the delivery of health services throughout the country;

supports the Government's view that fairness to patients throughout the country requires that all patients should have access to the appropriate care in the appropriate place at the appropriate time, provided by the appropriate person;

recognises that the plan to reorganise hospital services in the Mid-West is evidence-led and in accordance with the principles of patient safety, quality assurance and fairness;

notes and welcomes the conviction of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland that the reforms should continue in the Mid-West and elsewhere;

welcomes the clinical leadership in the Mid-West region in the project to deliver better services to patients;

urges everyone in the health service and public representatives in the region to work together to put patient care first above all other interests;

welcomes the HSE's commitment that Ennis, Nenagh and St. John's Hospitals will deliver additional day surgery and diagnostic services, including CT scanning and that many patients from Clare and North Tipperary who currently have to travel to Limerick will now be able to access these services in their local hospitals;

welcomes the additional specialist services such as dermatology, neurology and rheumatology which will be available in Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals;

supports the HSE's plans to appoint eight additional hospital consultants to enable the delivery of these new services and specialties at Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals;

welcomes the HSE's intention to enhance the ambulance service in the Mid-West through the deployment of twelve advanced paramedics and increased out-of-hours ambulance cover;

supports the HSE's intention to develop a regional critical care service involving the provision of a dedicated new critical care block which will have a total of 40 specialist intensive care, high dependency and coronary care beds and a new emergency theatre;

recognises the necessity to make capital investment in all four hospitals in the region to support the reconfiguration plans; and

welcomes the significantly reduced reliance on locum positions to provide services and their replacement with full-time consultant staff for the region which will result from the reconfiguration programme."

I would like to begin by asking the Leas-Cheann Comhairle to clarify something. In his contribution, Deputy Reilly referred to the issue of me being accused of criminal negligence. I ask Deputy Reilly to reflect on that. I ask the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for his co-operation in that regard. I can take political accusations, but I am not going to accept that.

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