Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)

Tá Sinn Féin ag taispeáint ceannasaíocht sa Dáil arís, agus an rún seo á phlé againn. Tuigim go mbraitheann gach rud ar cad a tharla roimhe seo. Dá mba rud é nár bhuaigh Fine Gael an toghchán deireanach, bheadh an Aire ar an taobh seo den urlár agus ag tabhairt tacaíocht don mhéid atá le rá againn. Cúpla míó shin, bhí an rud céanna á rá aige agus ag Teachtaí eile atá ina hAirí agus mar pháirt den Rialtais anois. Dúirt siad gur chóir na seirbhísí cuí a choinneáil sna ceantracha tuaithe, agus na seirbhísí otharlainne a choinneáil mar atá siad agus feabhas a chur orthu. Tá sé cinnte agus iontach soiléir anois go bhfuil na gealltanais briste ag an Aire, ag an Taoiseach agus ag Teachtaí Dála Fine Gael agus an Lucht Oibre. Thug siad na gealltanais sin le fáil isteach sna cathaoireacha ina bhfuil siad inniu.

It is very clear and I do not have to repeat what other speakers have said earlier and again this evening that this Government has broken the promises to the electorate. It has broken the promises to people in very vulnerable areas who depend on their health services, from Navan to Drogheda, from Roscommon to Leitrim and areas in my constituency in Donegal. Not only had the Government parties given the nod and wink to the constituents during the election campaign that they would ensure that the services were maintained, but they went further. In the case of my constituency and the hospital with a catchment area in part of my constituency, Sligo General Hospital, one of the Government Deputies went so far as to say that he would resign from government if cancer services at Sligo General Hospital were not restored within one hundred days. I am sure the Minister is disappointed at the lack of honesty of that Deputy, the lack of honesty to the electorate and the people who elected him, who believed that by electing him to this House and this Government, he would defend the rights of cancer patients across the north west. He has failed, just as the Government is failing to deliver the health services it has pledged to the people across the State.

This issue was inherited from the previous Government which ran down the health services over many years. Deputy Ó Caoláin referred to it when he said the template to be used across the State for the downgrading of hospitals was the template used in Monaghan General Hospital. If there was ever a time when I wished Deputy Ó Caoláin was not correct, it was then. We have seen this transpire over recent years under the Fianna Fáil, Green Party and Progressive Democrats Government and now, unfortunately, we see this Government putting another nail in the coffin of health services throughout this State.

There is a crisis brewing and 11 July is the date when the non-consultant hospital doctors will not be available to provide adequate cover for many hospitals. The Minister has yet to tell the House which of those hospitals will be affected. Which rural hospitals will be affected? We understand that in Donegal, Letterkenny General Hospital might not be affected on 11 July. However, given that 67 of the non-consultant hospital doctors are locums and those posts will disappear a number of weeks after that, there is a serious threat to the downgrading of Letterkenny General Hospital. The accident and emergency department may not remain open after August and September. In answering questions from Deputy Ó Caoláin last week, the Minister said junior doctors would be directed to regional hospitals. I ask him to provide clarification for patients across the north west and the State on which hospitals will retain services.

The Minister told people the money will follow the patient. It is very clear from this Government that the only people whom the money is following are bondholders. Last week the Government paid out €12 million of unguaranteed debt to bondholders. Tomorrow it will pay out another €10 million. The debt of Letterkenny General Hospital is approximately €6 million to €8 million. On 2 November, €750 million in bonds will mature: the debt of Letterkenny General Hospital amounts to 1% of that. The Government is prioritising bondholders over the safety and health of patients.

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