Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)

I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the ongoing crisis at the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar; where the recent reduction of up to 20% in the total number of acute beds at the hospital and the loss of 35 nurses over the past year who have not been replaced led to the suspension of emergency facilities last weekend; which, despite being among the top three hospitals in the country, with 35,000 admissions on an annual basis and length of stay among the shortest in Ireland, has been purposely selected for unwarranted and disproportionate cutbacks; and if steps will be taken to address the unfair treatment to which this important hospital, which services the communities of Longford and Westmeath, has been subject, restore the number of acute beds and significantly increase nursing personnel.

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