Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

-----alternatively he could address the deficiencies impacting the safe delivery of services in the areas HIQA highlighted. To date the Minister has not done that in Roscommon, Sligo, Letterkenny, Castlebar, Galway and many of the hospitals highlighted in the HIQA report on Ennis Hospital. The report is being used by the Minister to breach all the promises made during the general election campaign.

In my constituency of Cork North-Central there was an issue with St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital. At the time I was honest with the people and informed them that the reconfiguration was taking place and the recommendation was for a transfer of orthopaedic services to the South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital. A campaign was rightly waged. However, we had cast-iron guarantees from the Minister, Deputy Reilly, that there would be no movement of orthopaedic services. He then carried out a brief review, the details of which we did not see. Lo and behold, at the end of the day we discovered that services are being moved from St. Mary's Orthopaedic Hospital to the South Infirmary-Victoria University Hospital. He has stated that he hopes some services might move up to St. Mary's on the north side of the city. I do not mind the cut and thrust of politics, but this is a case of playing on people's fears and concerns prior to a general election and then doing a complete U-turn on the provision of services. I thought the Minister was about to quote Winston Churchill referring to the end of the beginning and the beginning of the end. Winston Churchill also said that men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened. In this context, the Minister is picking himself up and hurrying off as if nothing happened.

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