Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To be specific, Deputy Michael Lowry gives the indication in an article on page 4 in the Tipperary Starof 30 June that a deal has been done - without reference to the word "deal" - on a pilot scheme in South Tipperary General Hospital. It is a half page article. Obviously, somebody is on some inside track. Deputy Lowry states in that article that he is the only Deputy in the county in a position to work on this because he is supporting the Government. He also refers to his having cited health as an election issue and in that regard that he has had extensive meetings with HSE officials and senior management and the Minister on how best to progress the case of South Tipperary General Hospital. Not only is this pilot scheme of a modular unit of 40 beds en suite going to happen but Deputy Lowry has persuaded the Minister to revisit the capital plan. It seems that in one fell swoop the other four Deputies representing Tipperary would as a result of this deal appear to be redundant. That said, this could have been something in the offing already and perhaps Deputy Lowry is claiming credit for it. I do not know.

See this speech in context