Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for allowing me to raise this important issue which relates to Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, in my constituency of Dublin West. As the Minister will, no doubt, be aware the hospital currently has a deficit of €4.5 million out of its annual budget of €91 million. As a result, the hospital has been prevailed upon by the HSE to close a number of hospital beds. Ten beds are closed already, another 14 closed last week, bringing to a total of 24, the number of beds closed in Connolly Hospital. This is in addition to the 30 beds that have closed at the Mater Hospital and 64 in Beaumont Hospital, resulting in a total of more than 110 beds closed in the north Dublin region. Hospitals in the north Dublin region are facing additional pressure because of the removal of surgical services from Navan Hospital. It is clear we are heading into a bad winter in the accident and emergency units of our hospitals.

I have worked in Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown, in the accident and emergency unit and in the medicine for the elderly department. I have also worked in the accident and emergency unit in Beaumont Hospital. I worked in a system that was already overcrowded and full of trolleys when there were 100 more beds in the system than there will be this winter. We are heading for a monumental disaster, a breakdown in medical care and a serious loss of life in the north Dublin hospitals, as a result of the current situation. We all accept that health spending will be reduced over the coming years and this year, but there has been a failure of the Government and HSE management to get the deficit under control much earlier.

I suggest that three things be done. First, a similar approach should be taken to that which was taken to the banking sector. There should be a bailout of these hospitals for the remainder of this year. Second, the management of the HSE and the hospitals, who have contributed to this crisis by not dealing with the emerging deficit much earlier, should be replaced. Finally, a new funding system should be introduced next year based on the Fine Gael model of universal health insurance, where money follows the patient and hospitals are paid for the work they do, the number of patients they treat and the number of inpatients they have. Under this system, hospitals will never again try to making savings to meet their budgets by closing down hospital wards and cutting back on services. The whole situation is reminiscent of that famous "Yes Minister" episode where we are told by the civil servants that the most efficient hospital is one with no patients. Clearly, the current Government takes the same view that we achieve budget targets by closing down services. That is not the way it should be and I look forward to the Minister's response.

See this speech in context