David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to ask about promised legislation. The Taoiseach will be aware that the programme for Government committed to a second cath lab at University Hospital Waterford. He will also be aware of a report by Dr. Niall Herity, which did not make a positive recommendation. I am sure he is also aware that since then, a mobile lab has been deployed at the hospital. My understanding is that that mobile lab is to come out of the hospital next week. It was deployed for a number of months. The waiting times for diagnostic testing have been dramatically reduced because of the deployment of this mobile lab. The problem is that for those who are then tested and diagnosed and need an intervention, the waiting times for interventions has increased. The reason for this is that the temporary mobile lab cannot carry out intervention work, and all the data show that this spells out the need for a second permanent lab. A meeting is to take place next week, I think, with the Minister for Health and regional Oireachtas Members from across the south east. A protest in Waterford is planned for Saturday, which I encourage people to attend. As the Taoiseach knows, this is a very important issue for people. If the data show, as they seem to do, a need for a second permanent lab, how can he and his Government ensure the appropriate urgency is given to this issue in order that we can get the necessary capacity into the hospital to treat people in cardiac arrest as quickly as possible?

See this speech in context