Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Earlier, the Minister said more hospitals and capacity needed to be built. The Minister has the visited Cashel hospital, where €22.5 million was spent, after which it closed. The Minister has visited it. There was an overrun of €7 million and I have referred the matter to the Committee on Public Accounts. Will the Minister insist that step-down patients be allowed into the hospital and that beds will be put in? It is state-of-the-art. If we are going to waste this kind of money on a building that is being used just for a very few minor injuries, as the Minister saw, and offices for management, it is unacceptable. The Minister said he had spoken to them a week ago. We need it to be opened and we need beds, services for step-down patients to relieve the chronic conditions in South Tipperary General Hospital, which is one of the worst hospitals in the country, according to the nurses, for trolleys, people on chairs and ambulances backed up. It is breaking point for the front-line staff there and the management. We need to make the HSE managers agree to it.

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