John Perry (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I congratulate Deputy James Reilly on tabling this Fine Gael motion, which is simple and clear. It calls a halt to the unfair and unjustified health cuts in the Sligo-Leitrim region. Breast cancer and mammography services have been removed from Sligo. This decision ignored the proven track record of the cancer care team at the hospital. The comments of Deputy Ulick Burke confirmed this. The team was producing results exceeding those achieved at top cancer clinics in the US and elsewhere. This month the HSE is imposing a further €12 million cut, bringing the total to €24 million in one hospital alone. Over 200 members of staff have gone, including over 100 nurses. All agency nursing staff are gone and there are restrictions on consultant locum cover and reductions in overtime. There have been cancellations to elective surgery and restrictions on theatre time due to staff shortages. Emergency equipment is barely maintained rather than replaced. There have been 60 bed closures and cutbacks in orthopaedic services from 48 beds to 12 beds, as well as cutbacks in angiography and cardiac services.

At present, Sligo hospital offers a premier cardiology and angiography service, with a three-week turnaround time for cardiac patients. With the proposed cutbacks, the service will be severely curtailed, resulting in patients being transferred to Dublin, where waiting times are up to six months. Lives will be lost.

It is clear that this Fianna Fáil-led Government and the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, are determined to reduce the services and the status of Sligo General Hospital to a local district hospital. I am calling for no further reductions to front line staff or services. The scheduled loss of front line health services at Sligo General Hospital must be halted. High quality, highly specialised existing services are being removed and curtailed. The time has come for the people of this region to say to the Government and the Minister that enough is enough. The Fianna Fáil Deputies of Sligo-Leitrim chose to vote with the Government to remove cancer services from Sligo. This motion gives them a second chance to show where they really stand on health care services in Sligo-Leitrim. With this motion they have the opportunity to vote for the suspension of unsustainable cutbacks to front line health services in this region. With this motion they have a clear opportunity to send a message to the Government that the cutbacks are unjustified and must stop.

In their defence, local Deputies speak of Government promises to build a new 90-room unit and that Sligo General Hospital is shortlisted for a regional colonoscopy service. These are Fianna Fáil promises. They will carry the local Fianna Fáil politicians up to and past the next election. We will not know about actual delivery until after the next election. Actions here will be louder than any words.

I am determined that Sligo General Hospital will have its cancer services restored and will maintain its current regional hospital status, with the full range of specialised medical services. I am committed to the delivery of the new 90-bed unit, which is currently in the capital plan and at the pre-planning stage. I demand that the Minister approves Sligo General Hospital as the location of the regional colonoscopy service. That is confirmation of the calibre and confidence of the medical team at Sligo General Hospital. People all over the country are feeling the effects of health cutbacks to front line services and they want the cutbacks to stop. Any Deputy with a genuine interest in maintaining our standard of health care in a region serving 250,000 people must vote for this motion. Money can be saved and front line services can continue. The former Minister of State, Deputy Jimmy Devins, and Deputy Eamon Scanlon have an opportunity here as they are not members of the Fianna Fáil Parliamentary Party. They must vote with people and they have this opportunity.

See this speech in context