James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

-----and an 11-year-old boy was put in a life-threatening position by being forced to travel to Portlaoise hospital due to the lack of an anaesthetist at Mullingar hospital, with his appendix almost bursting on the journey. This is despite the Minister's claim that there have been no cutbacks in services at Mullingar hospital. Such claims are par for the course for Ministers, but no amount of spin can hide the fact that the Government has failed Longford-Westmeath again.

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