John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am not here to criticise the Minister for Health, but when he came to power he spoke about taking a "hands-on approach" that would be different to that of the last disastrous Government, in order to improve the terrible health system he inherited. However, my understanding of a hands-on approach was that he would be in contact with and would speak to people who work on the front line, like professors, consultants, surgeons, nurses, doctors and others working on the ground. All of those people have come together and said that it is essential that Waterford Regional Hospital remains the strategic hospital in the region and keeps its status. One cannot find anybody who is more frontline than the people who met the Minister today, who perform the operations, lecture in the theatres and treat people in the accident and emergency department. They know what Waterford Regional Hospital is all about. The Minister must take on board the fact that, for the first time ever, politicians of all persuasions, as Deputy Coffey said, have come together in this House, not to score points, but united in their belief about what is the right decision for Waterford Regional Hospital. I wish to remind the Minister that 15,000 men, women and children, many of whom support the Government parties, marched on the streets of Waterford in unison to say they will not accept the downgrading of their hospital.

See this speech in context