Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

When in opposition, during a debate on a cancer services motion on 20 May 2008, the Minister, Deputy Reilly, said:

The motion is self-explanatory but the rationale behind it requires further elucidation. At the core of it is the question of trust. What is at issue is whether the people of the north west and west can trust the Government, the Minister for Health and Children and the monolithic Health Service Executive to deliver the services they have promised.

Certainly the issue of trust has been shattered for many people in the mid-west, north west and west given the commitments made by the Minister when he was in opposition on the provision of services in Roscommon, Sligo and elsewhere in the north west and west. Our party, when in government, was involved in a reconfiguration programme and the HSE was the organisation carrying it out in conjunction with waiting for reports from HIQA. However, we did not hide behind any reports. We were upfront and honest with the people in every constituency on the provision of services and what reconfiguration might mean for some services in certain areas.

The motion before the House comes about as a result of deceit and cynicism at its highest level perpetrated on many people with breaches of promises made prior to this year's general election. In the same debate in 2008 the now Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, said:

We should not be obliged and restricted by the acceptance of independent reports. He said we should have the courage to change them if we believe they are not correct... This is an opportunity for the Government to show the courage he speaks of because this is not only a medical position but a political decision and the Minister knows it.

He went on to state:

I am appalled at the attitude of Government Deputies who said this fight was lost when statements were issued by management. Members of hospital management do the jobs they are supposed to; politicians reflect the views of the people and make political decisions in the best interests of the community. I inform the Minister, Deputy Harney, that I would not stand here and defend this motion in the name of Fine Gael if I did not believe that the standards of surgery, clinical outcome and survival stand up. The Minister has not proven anything in this debate to date to demonstrate that the service in Sligo or in Mayo General Hospital should not continue.

The issue of hospitals is very emotive, a point Fine Gael and the Labour Party played on when in opposition. I often sat on the other side of the House listening to the issue being raised continually as is the right and duty of every Opposition Deputy. However, equally every political party has an obligation at least not to sow seeds of deceit and cynicism as perpetrated on the people of the west, north west and mid-west.

Let us be under no illusions about the commitment made on Roscommon hospital. Deputies were arriving home like Neville Chamberlain in 1938 with a letter declaring peace in our time, except it was accident and emergency units and retention of hospital services in our time. Clearly Fine Gael did a poll in the Roscommon-South Leitrim constituency, which showed that Fine Gael was close to winning two seats and also indicated that Roscommon General Hospital was the biggest issue for voters in the constituency. Contact was made, and the party's deputy leader arrived and gave his cast-iron guarantee to the people of Roscommon. I get no joy from saying this. The Taoiseach said we should respect the Minister's opinion because he takes into account HIQA reports, the advice from clinicians and from the HSE and equally because he is a medical practitioner himself. At the time he made that commitment I do not believe that the Minister did not know there were some difficulties with accident and emergency services in Roscommon General Hospital. This commitment was made solely to con the people of Roscommon and get two seats for Fine Gael in the process.

Deputy Naughten was quoted in the Roscommon Herald on 22 March 2011 as saying:

Fine Gael has already committed to retaining services at the hospital and as a party we have outlined our plans to not only protect but also to enhance and develop those services. This decision by Minister Reilly is the first step in securing the future of services at smaller hospitals such as Roscommon and Portiuncula.

On 5 October 2010 Fine Gael tabled a Private Members' motion on health services calling on the Government to:

ensure that there are no further reductions to front line staff or services;

suspend the loss of front line health services and capacity at hospitals, for example, at Clonmel, Merlin Park, Nenagh, Roscommon, Navan, Sligo, Letterkenny, Portiuncula, Wexford, Monaghan, Ennis and Louth county.

During the debate, the Minister, Deputy Reilly, stated:

This motion is about protecting patients from cutbacks necessitated by mismanagement and waste in the HSE, presided over by this Minister [Mary Harney]. It intends to demonstrate clearly that there is a third way by changing the bizarre working practices and bloated bureaucracy at the root of the waste in our service. The Government, through a series of policy failures, continues to undermine the provision of fair and equitable health services to our citizens. Current health policy, particularly as outlined in the amendment to the motion, sends a clear statement that the Government does not view health as a priority. [This is the cracker in it all.] It has consistently ignored the concerns of local people, medical professionals and service users when stripping hospitals of their services. Nobody in the House opposes excellence in clinical care or denies the need for change in the provision of hospital services but when the Government's immediate reaction is to close theatres and wards or to withdraw front line services to save money, we do have a problem, as this is a lazy way to attack our difficult situation.

See this speech in context