Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

Services in Wexford General Hospital and St. Senan's Hospital, Enniscorthy, are severely threatened. St. Senan's Hospital is threatened with closure and Wexford General Hospital is threatened with the removal of front line services. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle is well aware of what is under threat in County Wexford. I am not sure if the Minister is instructing the HSE and if it is doing spadework for the Minister, but she must examine what is happening on the ground. The HSE is a monster in the Department of Health and Children and the Minister is wholly responsible for it.

Maternity services in Wexford are under threat. In 2008, there were 2,399 births in Wexford General Hospital and over 2,500 births in 2009. That is a very significant number of babies being born in one county. There are proposals to remove the services from Wexford. There are continually peopleon trolleys and overcrowding in the accident and emergency units. I commend the Wexford alliance that was set up to protect services at Wexford General Hospital. I plead with the Minister and my Oireachtas colleagues from Wexford and I call on my Oireachtas colleagues who are part of the decision-making process to ensure future services at Wexford General Hospital and at St. Senan's are retained for the people of County Wexford. There should be no further reductions in front line services.

The people of County Wexford have been very generous in fundraising for Wexford General Hospital over a number of years. A cancer care unit was built recently at a cost of €1 million. I am not sure the Minister is aware of this; I am not sure she or the HSE appreciates it. Only for the generosity of people across the country, our health services would be in dire straits. The Minister must take heed of this and of the millions of euro raised in County Wexford and across the country to keep health services afloat. Only for the generosity of many people, we would be in severe trouble. I give the Minister the message that she should keep her hands, Government hands and HSE hands off the services in Wexford, including psychiatric services and vital services in Wexford General Hospital.

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