Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour)

I commend the Independent group on proposing this motion. As a Government backbencher, I also commend the Chief Whip for not opposing it. This may be a small sign of the much needed reform of this Parliament. We have for too long seen a Punch and Judy show here and have not seen the extensive reform we would have liked. Nevertheless, there has been some reform and we should welcome any positive developments in these hard times.

I do not wish to repeat what my colleague, Deputy Phelan has said, but everybody in the House is agreed on the increasing threat posed by stroke in Ireland, because of our increasing older population in particular. We are also agreed on the importance of speedy treatment for stroke. As the House is aware, the chances of surviving stroke are increased by 25% if treated in a multidisciplinary stroke unit. For that reason, last year I asked the Minister for Health whether nursing and therapist posts funded under the national stroke programme, which are essential to the development of an acute stroke unit in the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Limerick that will save lives and reduce cases of permanent severe disability, would be filled by the end of 2011. I was disappointed to learn from the Minister that he wished to advise that the 45 nursing and therapist posts identified under the national stroke programme were at various stages of the recruitment process but that it was unlikely they would be filled by the end of the year. However, in preparing to debate the motion I researched the matter further with the Department and was gratified to learn that people have now been hired for all of those posts, although they have not all taken up their positions yet. This marks progress.

I would like to draw the attention of Members to the fact that in the early days of this Government, in March 2011, a major tender was launched by the HSE for the construction of a multi-million euro extension at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital. In a summary tender advertised in one of the first weeks of the Government, the HSE said the proposed seven-storey extension and alterations would include a neurological centre, an acute stroke inpatient unit and a cystic fibrosis inpatient and outpatient unit. I am pleased to say that when I visited the hospital recently on a sad occasion unrelated to my public duties, I noticed the extension is proceeding as planned.

I do not pretend there was a miraculous turnabout on the part of the Government and that this extension had not been already planned. Of course, the previous Government had plans in place for it. However, I believe that its progress illustrates that in these times when people are growing increasingly fatalistic and despairing of Government, times are changing and things are improving. Perhaps they are not improving as quickly as we would like, but they are improving. It takes time to turn the ship about but there have been improvements in our health service and I welcome them. I also commend the Technical group on this motion.

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