Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Butler for tabling this important Topical Issue. Her summation of our meeting this evening is accurate and I agree with it. First, I once more extend my sincere sympathy to the family of Mr. Power and to his community on his tragic loss. As I said previously, I expect that all appropriate procedures will be carried out to ensure the facts and information that are extraordinarily important in this case, including to the Power family, are made known to the family.

I welcome the opportunity to update the House on the provision of cardiac care in the south east. I thank Deputies Butler and Cullinane, Senator Coffey, the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy Halligan, and Deputy Catherine Martin, on behalf of Senator Grace O'Sullivan, for attending our earlier meeting which I believe was very constructive. I note the apologies of Deputy Deasy, whom I have briefed on it. I also acknowledge the interest of Members of the Oireachtas from the south east in general, including the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy John Paul Phelan. I have significant respect and admiration for the way Members of the Oireachtas in Waterford and the south east are working on a cross-party basis and in a constructive manner to try to find a way forward.

On foot of the meeting and in light of the cross-party motion, I am pleased to confirm that I have agreed to expedite a national review of all primary PCI services, encompassing the south-east region. I issued a statement to that effect this evening. My Department will immediately commence the preparatory work on examining the scope of the review, including identifying an international expert. It is important to have an international expert. The guiding principles for this review will be to strive to provide a primary PCI service that can deliver clinical outcomes on a par with international standards, something to which we all subscribe. I wish to be clear this does not affect the additional resources I have already committed to provide to University Hospital Waterford, the commitment to review the impact of extended hours at the existing catheterisation laboratory, and the deployment of a mobile catheterisation laboratory, which will arrive in Waterford in the autumn.

As I have previously confirmed, the HSE national service plan for 2017 provided additional funding of €500,000 and, as part of that expenditure, the HSE is currently in the process of procuring a temporary mobile catheterisation laboratory at University Hospital Waterford which will contribute, on an interim basis, to the further reduction in elective cardiology waiting lists at that hospital. The organisation of primary PCI services is an issue for the entire country, as we discussed at our meeting. I accept it is an extraordinarily emotive and important issue in the south east, but there are also other parts of the country that have concerns and views about this. It must relate to how we provide services to the entire population taking account of the best independent clinical evidence available. The review will encompass all areas of the country, including the south east, and will seek to ensure that as many patients as possible have access on a 24-7 basis to safe and sustainable emergency interventions following a heart attack.

My Department will begin the preparatory work, which will include identifying an international expert and scoping the terms of reference. I intend to engage further with Members of the Oireachtas from Waterford and the south east in the coming weeks and certainly by early September to plan a way forward to ensure there is a robust process that will examine all parts of the country and the distribution of our primary PCI services. Ultimately, every Member of the Oireachtas and all parties wish to arrive at a point where the maximum number of citizens have access to 24-7 primary PCI services. Again, I thank the Deputies and Senators from Waterford and the south east for the constructive manner in which they have engaged this week. It has been useful and helpful and I hope we can progress along the lines I have outlined.

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