Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I concur with the protest made by Deputy Pearse Doherty. The Minister was in the House and, with all due respect to the Minister of State, is more familiar with this matter. He was at Letterkenny University Hospital twice, once privately and another time in an official capacity when he dealt with the Donegal medical academy in conjunction with NUI Galway.

I praise the excellent front-line medical and auxiliary staff of Letterkenny hospital, who perform their duties to the highest standards under the most considerable pressure on a daily basis. They are to be highly commended.

The hospital is the only general hospital in the county and caters for a population of more than 157,000 people. There are significant pressure points and strains on services within the hospital and the situation is worsening. Full capacity protocols have been exceeded 104 times in 2016 and twice already this year, and we are only at the start of the year's second month.

The failure to have a second oncologist appointed comes despite a commitment given by the then Minister of State, Deputy McHugh, on 25 January last year before the election that there would be a second oncologist. We are still waiting on that appointment. In addition, I understand that the appointment of a second breast surgeon could have been made some time ago. Other issues include the lack of bed capacity, hospital department problems, constituents waiting on trolleys, delays in the accident and emergency department having knock-on effects for procedures and a lack of full diabetic services for adults and children. Dermatological services were transferred to Sligo on a three-month basis. Eighteen months on and they are still there. The rheumatology department and urology services are not operational.

I hope the Minister of State does not tell us that our €14.6 million last year will deal with all of the issues. I have a specific proposal, which I will make when I ask my supplementary question.

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