Noel Coonan (Tipperary North, Fine Gael)

I am sharing my time with other Deputies and the Ceann Comhairle will call them. I come from the mid-west region. We bought into the reconfiguration project on the basis that services would be put into the regional hospital and improvements would be carried out in tandem to Nenagh General Hospital as a result. While I welcome what services have been implemented in Nenagh hospital, the promised improvements are not yet complete. I ask the Minister of State to inform the House with regard to the surgical unit promised for Nenagh hospital. I ask him to confirm that our accident and emergency department in Nenagh is safe, bearing in mind that the intensive care unit, the cardiac unit and the anaesthetists are being withdrawn soon. Does this mean our accident and emergency department will continue to exist or will be able to function without those services or will it become solely a minor injuries unit?

I was amazed to hear my colleagues from north Tipperary, in particular the Independent Deputy, who stood up and has now become more classically Fianna Fáil than Fianna Fáil itself, blaming the Opposition for the closure of Clonmel hospital. He said our motion proposed closing Clonmel hospital. That is an appalling suggestion, coming from him and one which I reject out of hand.

There is a lack of trust among the people. We were promised that the current staff complement of three accident and emergency consultants in Limerick would be increased to eight, that 135 additional acute care beds would be provided in Limerick but this has not happened. We were promised a high dependency unit in Limerick hospital but that has not happened. It was promised that the necessary upgrade of the accident and emergency department in Limerick would take place in tandem with services being withdrawn from Nenagh hospital. We accepted that all services could not be provided in Nenagh and we welcome those services that are being enhanced. However, Deputy Lowry in his comments stated there would be significant improvements in the level of comfort for the people of north Tipperary. Today the people of north Tipperary must go down to Limerick. Today there were 33 people on the corridors and they did not even have trolleys for some of them in the regional hospital. Last week up to 40 people were in the corridors in Limerick last week. Is this comfort for a person in hospital? Is this what we were promised? That is why we are in trouble here with the people. God help the people of the south east when they buy into this process. I tell them to look at what is happening in the mid west.

My colleagues promised a 20-bed long stay community care unit would be provided in Borrisokane in County Tipperary. That has not happened. No sooner had the announcement been made then the money was withdrawn a few months later. There was no excuse offered nor any apology given to the people of Borrisokane.

On the issue of waste of resources, the cat scanner in Nenagh General Hospital is only available to inpatients and the number of inpatient beds is being cut from 106 beds down to 50 or fewer. The people of north Tipperary who are waiting 12 months and two years for scans must travel to Limerick or Dublin or go wherever they like but they will not get a scan in north Tipperary. Does the Minister of State consider this to be value for money? Is it any wonder the people are annoyed?

A person came to me who was two years waiting for neurological treatment in Beaumont Hospital. She was assured she would have her operation this June. Nothing happened in June. She contacted the hospital. September has now passed and we are in October and she still has no appointment, almost two years later. Is this the service and level of comfort, the improvement of which Deputy Lowry speaks? It is fine for himself and Deputy Hoctor to say that nothing will happen about Clonmel hospital for two years. They know damn well it will get them over the coming general election and then, God help the people of Clonmel.

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