Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

If what is happening in Ireland today was happening in Third World countries, there would be uproar. The Deputy is a young Minister and I understand he is trying to do his best but the fact is the system we have is not working. The HSE, as a body, is supposed to be helping our sick and vulnerable people who are in trouble, but it is not working out for many people. As I have stated here many times, as has my brother, Michael, it is not acceptable that people have to wait two years to have a cataract operation. The Sligo model is working in other parts of the country but why can it not be applied to Cork and Kerry? I dealt with one poor man could not bear to go blind and he had to sell his car to get the operation done privately. That is the truth. It is not good enough that young teenagers have to wait four to five years for orthodontic treatment.

The hospital in Kenmare which is relatively new is only half open. It has only one respite bed for all of its catchment area. Wards are closed in Tralee general hospital. That is why we have waiting lists, queues and people on trolleys. I told the Minister about a recent case involving Cork University Hospital. As of today, there are people waiting three, four and five weeks to have open heart surgery in that hospital because there is not bed available for them after they have their operation. That is not acceptable.

Deer Lodge in Killarney, which is a mental health facility, was built and opened in June 2015 but it is still not fully open. People are going private to get treatment. It is not good enough for people with medical problems who need attention to have to wait two or three years to meet a consultant. That is widespread and it must be sorted out.

We have heard of ambulance reconfiguration, which means there will be fewer ambulances. A would-be patient in Rathmore on new year's day had to wait 50 minutes for an ambulance to come from Kenmare when it should have come from Millstreet. Many facilities are being closed, including the Mary of the Angels facility. Also, the Lantern Lodge was closed because it was considered to be too costly to give the people attending it a meal That is what is happening. We have a shortage of nurses and those who are in our hospitals are overworked. We cannot pay our rural GPs to ensure they stay in rural areas. A total of €900 million has been allocated to the HSE this year and we are almost two months into the year and I do not see any improvement anywhere. Most working class people are paying 48% and 52% tax to pay for the cost of these services but the services are not being delivered.

I have attended many HSE South/South West hospital group meetings but I have not got a straight answer to my questions from the officials. They have always been evasive when I have asked them a question.

I am very sorry; my time is up. I have no faith in the current system. It must be broken up and something new put in place.

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