Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The two new consultants will have an impact in terms of dealing with the needs of the elderly lady and the man with the rare complaint. Inasmuch as I can, I will do my very best to ensure the national recruitment service expedites those two appointments.

I will keep an eye on the business plan that is being prepared in regard to the catheterisation laboratories. Deputy Conway is correct in that when the hospital groups were being considered the reason Wexford, Kilkenny and all of the other areas were brought together was to provide the required population base, because it is important that consultants in particular specialties have the required throughput on an ongoing and continuous basis, as that is what makes them expert in their field. The people delivering the service in Waterford at the moment are doing an incredible job. The unfortunate difficulty is that they are not there for long enough and they are not there at weekends. As Deputy Conway correctly pointed out, as the economy improves we will have to examine the issues that directly affect people.

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