Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is great concern about the Portlaoise hospital. As the previous speaker said of its workload, it is one of the busiest accident and emergency, maternity and paediatric units outside Dublin but it has one of the lowest budgets. Its budget is €10 million lower than that of Naas General Hospital. I am not asking the Minister of State to rob the hospital in Naas. I do not want her to rob Peter to pay Paul. Despite having a bigger workload it has a much lower budget than Naas General Hospital. This year it had a budget of only €44 million which is approximately €8 million less than it had a few years ago when its budget was in excess of €51 million. The budget just about covers the payroll. Despite the best efforts of management and staff the hospital seems to be always in a precarious situation. I recognise that the State has gone through a financially difficult period but the difficult situation at Portlaoise has been compounded by the constant stream of leaked reports that we do not have sight of. We read about them on the front pages of the newspapers.

A clinical report carried out by Dr. Ian Carter earlier this year was not published. It should have been and I ask that it be published. It recommended the closure of the 24-hour accident and emergency unit and surgical services.

Then we had the confidential Department submission, which suggested that if the Government went ahead with the planned budget cuts, 20 of the 150 beds at the hospital would be lost and the emergency department's opening hours would be confined to the hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Minister, Deputy Varadkar, has said he has no plans to close the emergency department. That may be so, but will its opening hours be reduced so that it provides a nine-to-five service only? Accidents are not confined to the hours between 9 a.m.and 5 p.m. The staff and the community are being subjected to a relentless campaign of uncertainty. Further uncertainty is being created. Can the Minister of State give me an assurance that the accident and emergency unit and the surgical services at Portlaoise are secure and safe?

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