Seymour Crawford (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing this issue to be discussed by the four Deputies from County Monaghan. I am very disappointed that the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, did not see fit to be here tonight. I hope this Minister of State will give us a positive reply.

I welcome the statement in The Irish Times by Deputies O'Hanlon and Conlon indicating that they are against the transfer of services on 22 July 2009 but what have they done in the past few months and years to change the decision of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, and the present and previous taoisigh, who worked with the HSE to remove the services from Monaghan General Hospital? The Minister did everything possible to close down the hospital before by using the tragic death of Pat Joe Walsh, who should never have been removed from the hospital in Drogheda. During the period when the hospital was off-call, up to 17 lives were lost.

Who is charge of the health service and runs the budget? Has she any role in how that is administered? If she does not, is there any role for Deputies in Government at all? We have heard Deputy Conlon say that she has worked hard behind the scenes but the Minister is in charge and not Professor Drumm. Professor Drumm is answerable to the Minister.

Earlier I submitted questions to the Minister and I hope the replies are available. Has the transfer of services from Monaghan General Hospital been discussed and agreed as safe with Monaghan GPs? Has it been discussed with consultants in the hospital? What evidence does the Minister have that what is being done is safer and better than the service currently available? Can primary care teams deliver a replacement service and is there any in place in Monaghan?

Will the Minister comment on why the advice of Teamwork is being ignored when it was paid to provide such advice? It clearly indicated that the services at Monaghan should not be removed until the new regional hospital is in place. Does the Minister accept that the current project is being spearheaded by management structures without any medical expertise?

Some €17 million was spent on Monaghan General Hospital in repair and restructuring. I make no apology for reminding the House that on the day the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Smith, officially opened the two brand new, state-of-the-art wards, I organised a protest at the gates - in which I was supported by the party I represent, Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and the Monaghan General Hospital Alliance - because we learned that at the same time that these wards were being opened, a top-quality female medical ward was being dismantled and state-of-the-art beds were being dumped in storage. This meant that 25 beds were removed from service.

The new proposal put forward by the HSE, which is supported by those who represent the main Government party - including the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Smith, and Deputies O'Hanlon and Conlon - is that the two wards opened in September 2007 be dismantled, at a cost of €6 million, and be turned into two 13-bed units for rehabilitation and respite.

I beg the Minister for Health and Children, at this late stage, to intervene with the HSE in order to put a stop to the lunacy of taking our hospital off call. This hospital is capable of providing a good service and closing it is unwise, unsafe and unjustified. The four Oireachtas Members who represent the constituency were recently brought to see the new state-of-the-art ambulances at the paramedic unit that is due to replace the hospital. However, I must highlight the fact that in the past number of weeks it took an ambulance 45 minutes to reach the site of an accident at Knockatallan. This accident involved a lorry and took place on the main national primary route which runs from Donegal to Dublin. The paramedics were contacted first but the ambulance arrived before them.

We have been promised that the new service will be state-of-the-art. Deputies O'Hanlon and Conlon should ask the Taoiseach who is in charge of the HSE. That organisation is not completely without attachment to the House. We must ensure that it is accountable to the Dáil.

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