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

I thank the Minister for her reply. I am very anxious that we will find some way to allocate these staff immediately. I know that takes time, but this issue must be addressed. The Save Roscommon Hospital group needs to consider allocating the staff immediately, because that will indicate clear recognition of what is happening.

I did not know whether to laugh or smile when some of my political colleagues started to complain that because the hospital is so busy, there is not enough parking and they want something done about it. This is the hospital that was supposed to be closed, and now, before this €20 million investment and so on, the hospital is busier than ever.

The consultants and management in the hospital are also supportive of the changes and the delivery of the types of service the Minister mentioned. Two of the consultants have gone on public record to confirm that the hospital is safer and busier. Where are the members of the national media who parked outside our hospital for three or four years interviewing everybody who said that people would die and the proposed closure was awful? I have not seen anyone from RTE come down to my hospital. I have invited them down but they said they would call in when the Minister comes to open the endoscopy unit. I am looking forward to seeing them come down with their cameras, because I am sick and tired listening to the nonsense that the national and local media have spoken in Roscommon for the past four years.

I want to put on the record now that Roscommon hospital is safer, bigger and busier than it was in 2011. Over the past four years it has been said that people will die, but not one person has died. Fifty or 100 lives have been saved, and the only casualty has been Frank Feighan's political career, because the public service and the national media did not do a service to the people of our county. They did not tell the truth when it should have been told. I ask them again to please go back on what they said over the past four years and correct people in terms of whether they were right or wrong. That is all I ask.

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