Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Of course I will. I always do, especially in this section. I want to ask a question in respect of the programme for Government and its commitment to health. There are definitely health issues in Tipperary. The Minister, Deputy Harris, who is actually present, visited Cashel some time ago and was aghast to see an empty hospital on which €25 million had been spent. Over the road, however, there is a sister hospital, St. Patrick's Hospital, which provides old folks and geriatric care. Within that hospital, there is a wonderful assessment unit to which stroke victims, victims of accidents and so on can be brought for the exceptional care provided by the matron and the staff. On Sunday I visited a good friend of mine, a neighbour. He had been told he was going home, as were all the other patients. I did not think anything of it. I thought they were just fit to go home. They were told yesterday that, because a general practitioner, GP, cannot be acquired, no more patients are being taken into the unit and there are rumours today that it might be closed.

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