Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

On this morning's Order of Business, the Ceann Comhairle characterised the axing of services at Monaghan General Hospital as a constituency matter. With respect, I must correct the Ceann Comhairle and say that it is a national matter with consequences for hospitals throughout the country. Monaghan is the blueprint for this Government's policy of slashing services in local hospitals. What it is doing to Monaghan now it plans to do to other hospitals in Dundalk, Navan, Nenagh, Ennis, Tralee and Cork, with still more likely to follow. These are ultimately political decisions.

I have been reliably informed from within the HSE that the Taoiseach, Deputy Cowen, and the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, were closely involved in the decision to axe these services from 22 July next. Let us consider the timing involved. The HSE signalled that these services were to go in November 2008. It then decided that the closure would not happen until the start of this year. Finally, a date in early summer was identified as apt for their disappearance. However, the local and European elections loomed and the axe was hidden until polling day passed. That axe was merely being sharpened and, lo and behold, two days before the Dáil goes into recess until September, the announcement was made that it will finally fall on 22 July.

This represents nothing short of a health care disaster for the people of counties Monaghan and Cavan and areas beyond. It flies in the face of all appeals from front line health care workers - including nurses, GPs, consultants and support staff - and from people of all political affiliations and religious beliefs. From 22 July, lives will be at risk, day and night, because we will lose vital hospital services, including emergency services and inpatient medical care. Lives were lost when Monaghan General Hospital was off call for emergencies in the past and now another fatal date has been set.

Deputies Conlon and O'Hanlon pointed out that all the promised support services due to be put in place before the axing of acute care at Monaghan have not, in fact, been put in place. That is true but I will return to those Deputies in a moment.

Even if all the promised supports were put in place, this would still not make the execution of Monaghan General Hospital acceptable or safe. In the HSE's confidential so-called transformation planning document of April 2008 - I revealed this fact at the time - "rehab/respite/step-down" facilities are described as "alternatives to acute inpatient care". Of course, they are no such thing.

The decision announced yesterday represents an attack on the health services by this Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government and a betrayal of the people by the members of Fianna Fáil who represent Cavan and Monaghan, namely, Deputies Conlon, O'Hanlon and Smith. Deputies Conlon and O'Hanlon shed crocodile tears here this evening but this morning they voted with the Government and could not bring themselves to abstain in the vote I called in order to allow all Deputies to register a protest at what is being done to Monaghan General Hospital. The Deputies opposite had an opportunity to make a difference but the vote was defeated by 70 votes to 68.

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