Frank Feighan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In 2011, promises were made by other politicians that the accident and emergency unit in Roscommon would remain open. Certain events happened and the Mallow report stated accident and emergency units such as those in Mallow and in Roscommon were unsafe. There was a junior hospital doctor crisis, and the consultants in Roscommon hospital wrote a letter stating they could not stand over the safety of the patients in that hospital. There was a vote on a motion tabled by the Sinn Féin party. The motion stated all accident and emergency units in the country should be retained and allowed to remain open. There were 3,000 people outside, mostly from my county. There was very heated, emotive commentary and people wanted me to resign. At the time, I did not stand by the vested interests and the ill-informed political pressure groups but by the people of Roscommon and Leitrim. I gave a strong commitment to secure significant investment for Roscommon hospital. The €8 million investment in the endoscopy unit is part of the €20 million investment earmarked for the hospital. The other flagships are a rehabilitation unit and a hospice care centre.

The 14,000 sq. ft. endoscopy unit is set to become a diagnostic centre for the whole western region. It will facilitate a range of scope procedures for patients, including colonoscopy. It is also hoped the service will be widened to offer bronchoscopy, cystoscopy and range of other scope services. This investment ensures the number of patients being treated in Roscommon will continue to increase. When the unit is open, the hospital will be able to perform three times as many endoscopy procedures. The construction of this major development endorses my public commitment to securing the long-term future of Roscommon County Hospital.

As the only Government Deputy in the constituency, I have exercised my influence at the highest level of government to ensure significant investment in the hospital. Since 2011, I have attended more than 100 meetings, at every level, to ensure the hospital's long-term future. Evidence shows clearly that the Government and I have worked and will continue to work hard to make Roscommon hospital a leading example for all small hospitals around the country. Along with the endoscopy development, the €8 million rehabilitation unit is a very exciting development for the hospital. We will see the construction of a 20-bed, single-room inpatient ward, with integrated therapy spaces, on a greenfield site adjacent to the hospital.

Geographically, Roscommon hospital is ideally located for capital developments. I warmly welcome the development of the 12,000 sq. ft. palliative care centre, which will have not only an eight-bed inpatient centre but also a palliative day-care service, a family support service and a bereavement service. It will serve as a base from which the existing community palliative home care team will operate.

We must not forget that the air ambulance has played a key role in providing critical air support options. It has saved dozens of lives in my county and many hundreds in the past two years. I am delighted it has been made permanent. I was the politician who set up that initiative and the one who helped deliver it with the two Ministers at the time. Any other politicians or vested interests who claimed an interest in this are simply not telling the truth.

With endoscopy services and other services, Roscommon hospital is safer and busier. This is because a high volume of lower-complexity cases have moved to it. People said four years ago that lives would be lost. Not one life has been lost because of the downgrading of Roscommon accident and emergency unit. The only casualty of this has been my political career as a Deputy for Roscommon and Leitrim. If that is a sacrifice that must be made, I am very happy to make it.

The endoscopy unit is ready. It has been passed on from the builders to the HSE or the hospital group. I want to know when the staff will be allocated for this much-needed facility. The people of Roscommon and the hospital management team are waiting on the staff allocation.

See this speech in context