Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I concur with Deputy Fleming. It is very disappointing that the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, is not present to deal with such a serious issue.

If proposals are introduced by the Government to downgrade Portlaoise hospital, lives will be put at risk. There will be a knock-on effect on other hospitals, such as the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore. The emergency department in Tullamore Hospital has already been in crisis. For example, the emergency protocol was activated three times last year, a measure only used as a last resort.

There is no way that the hospital’s emergency department could cope with an extra intake of patients. Common sense and decency need to be exercised in respect of the emergency department in Portlaoise. It must be retained. Ill patients will be put at serious risk if the downgrading goes ahead. Surely it is high time to set about improving our hospital services, rather than downgrading them. Resources should be provided to all hospitals in the midlands region. We cannot pit hospitals against each other.

We are in the midst of chaos in our health service. It would be nothing short of reckless to pursue an action which would have dire consequences for patients. Such an action would also put our hospital staff, who are already under serious pressure, under much greater strain. People are very concerned and I want this matter passed onto the Minister, Deputy Harris. I ask that the Minister make a commitment that the emergency department at Portlaoise will not be downgraded. To do otherwise would put people at risk.

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