Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this topical issue for debate this evening. I note that requests tabled by other colleagues to raise similar issues have been withdrawn as they hope to have a meeting with the Minister. I hope we will make progress on this issue.

I take this opportunity to express my distaste and concern that the Ceann Comhairle refused a Special Notice Question today from the Technical Group regarding this morning's decision by the Supreme Court.

This is very unfair and unwise. We could have debated it and introduced legislation tomorrow if necessary to defer the referendum.

I am delighted the Minister for Health is in the House to take the question. If something is not broken one should not fix it. Dublin has a population of 1.2 million people and has ten hospitals. The south-east region, which I represent along with other Deputies and Senators who are present, has a population of 500,000 and only four hospitals. We bought into the idea that Waterford Regional Hospital would be one of the eight centres of excellence. We did not like the fact that South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel lost services but we allowed them to go on the grounds there would be specialties in Waterford such as cancer care. We all made a deal and we are happy with it. We support each other.

We cannot now have a different situation because of the Higgins report or the ideas of some geniuses in Kilkenny that they want to link up with St James's Hospital in Dublin. We want to protect our regional status. We have a population of 500,000 people, and the Minister can give all the reasons he likes but we are told this is the magical number required for a regional hospital. We also have the ambulance service required to transport people. Consultants, patients, doctors and nurses have all bought into the idea. It would also be a major blow to the economy of the south-east region which we cannot afford. The south-east region has lost much and we cannot afford to lose this. It is a matter of life and death. We must keep the hospital as it is.

Deputy Halligan also tabled a topical issue and on his behalf I wish to say we want to have a system of honour. The agreements made with Waterford Regional Hospital on the transfer of services should be kept. Consultants or others should not smash and grab services from South Tipperary General Hospital. I appeal to the Minister to leave the system alone. He has enough problems to deal with. We have a perfect working system in Waterford and we go there for specialist treatment. We need to be left alone. We must have confidence in the service. This was the model held up and proclaimed throughout the country. I ask the Minister to leave it alone. It is not broken so he should not fix it.

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