Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)

I congratulate Deputy Reilly for tabling this motion. It provides us as Opposition Deputies with an opportunity to put forward observations and viewpoints. We must consider a new way of doing business. We are pumping all this money into the HSE and the health structure. While people who go through the system give positive feedback and are treated well, we must consider those waiting outside the system. We must consider the National Treatment Purchase Fund, which was not touched when there were cutbacks in the last budget. We must examine value for money, whether it is working out and whether it is being taken up in all parts of the country. In County Donegal there are variations and conflicting feedback about it.

Although I do not say this in a parochial sense, Letterkenny General Hospital is part of the Galway outreach service. Letterkenny has a good oncology unit and telecommunications services on which consultants, doctors and nurses can examine slides on a daily basis and work through the communication and technological channels. However, Letterkenny has become a victim of its success. Year-on-year, it gets less money but delivers more services to the community in counties Donegal, Sligo and Leitrim. It should be rewarded for the work it is doing but it is not.

Regarding the cross-Border aspect of this, we have talked a great deal since the Good Friday Agreement about the integrated strategies on transport, health and marine but it is not happening on the ground in terms of essential services. Co-operation and Working Together, CAWT, is co-operating for cancer care in Northern Ireland and southern Ireland, is working well and is putting together plans and proposals. However, we must challenge the cultural barriers that operate at management level between hospitals on either side of the Border.

We are here to discuss frontline services. Without frontline services, we cannot provide facilities. If we get rid of our nursing staff, continue to downgrade and get rid of the 28 student nurses dragged out of Letterkenny General Hospital at the end of August, we will not be able to provide adequate, efficient and proper health care. We must examine new ways of doing business in a more efficient way. This side of the House is considering universal health care and efficient and proper health care for everyone. If we take people from the coalface, we will have a second-class health system.

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