Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I commend Deputy Kelleher for tabling the motion. One of the major issues that has arisen during this debate is that of staffing. I was glad all my Dáil and Seanad colleagues from Galway were invited to attend a meeting to discuss this and other matters with the new area manager for counties Galway and Roscommon, Ms Catherine Cunningham. At that meeting we were well briefed on what was happening. What is sad is that in Galway alone some 113 people, 56 of whom are nurses, will be leaving the HSE this month. This is giving rise to serious problems. For example, there is an issue with the provision of public nursing services in the Connemara area.

Another serious issue which arises is that of home help services. Age Action Ireland has indicated that there has been a reduction of almost 500,000 in the number of home help hours since last year in the HSE West region. This is a massive decrease and equates to a cut of €105 million in monetary terms. Some 683 staff are set to retire across the region which is huge - it stretches all the way from County Limerick to County Donegal. The HSE West director has stated a number of key challenges have arisen and that, in the light of the reductions in staff and funding to which I refer, he is going to have a difficult job in maintaining front-line services. I am concerned about this. I am also concerned about the provision of palliative care services, as we are fighting for funding for Galway hospice.

Deputy Neville referred the provision of services for children. I have a major concern about this matter, particularly as headlines in the Irish Independent in recent weeks pointed to delays in screening and the fact that babies were at risk as a result of a failure on the part of the HSE to meet check-up dates. Some children are faced with a three year wait in order to receive vital dental treatment. In south-east Galway there is no dentist available between Loughrea and Portumna. Priority must be given to the provision of services of this nature for children.

I must refer to the shortage of nurses in orthopaedic departments. I understand HSE West plans to reduce its health budget by 5.2%. Obviously, orthopaedic services at Merlin Park Hospital in Galway have been hit as a result of this announcement. The number of beds in the orthopaedic ward at the hospital has been cut. In addition, there is a serious deficit of nursing staff in the operating theatres in University College Hospital, Galway. Patients presenting at the accident and emergency departments there and in Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe will be obliged to wait longer in order to receive surgical care.

I am concerned about the number of acute beds in the psychiatric services in the HSE West region. Some 15 beds have been lost at St. Brigid's Psychiatric Hospital, Ballinasloe, a town in which there is an acute hospital. I cannot understand what has been done in this instance. However, it is welcome that a new primary care centre is to be set up in Athenry.

The HSE's national service plan refers to the upgrading of endoscopy services at Roscommon County Hospital, but that is not what the people of Roscommon were seeking. They wanted to retain the 24 hour accident and emergency department. The Minister and the Government should be providing badly needed services at such facilities.

Age Action Ireland has stated:

The loss of so many public beds and the scale of the cuts in the home help service provided by the HSE will undoubtedly be felt by the sickest of older people [and is a real cause for concern]. Without a home help service frail older people will struggle, and those requiring round the clock nursing home care will end up being admitted to acute hospitals for their care if a nursing home bed is not available.

I hope the Government will give consideration to the issues to which I refer. I particularly hope it will examine the position in rural areas. Many people who live in such areas do not have access to the services of home helps or public health nurses. Those who do not have cars are becoming increasingly physically and socially isolated as a result of the withdrawal of services. I hope the Minister will take the points I have made on board.

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