Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí Neamhspleácha ón tuath fá choinne an rún seo a chur os comhair na Dála.

The wide range of issues covered by this Private Members' motion points to a system that is suffering from chronic under-investment by this and the previous Government. As my party's spokesperson on finance, I have said for the past few years, as we have had budget after budget, supported by Fianna Fáil, that it would result in a crisis in hospitals because we were under-investing in health services. It is clear to me that the policies of the Government will continue to keep them at crisis level. Is ceart a rá nach bhfuil acmhainní amháin taobh thiar de na fadhbanna seo. Tá fadhbanna ó thaobh cúrsaí rialachais i gceist anseo feasta. Chímid é sin go soiléir i gcás Vicky Phelan agus na mban ar lig an Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte síos go dona iad.

We see once again that the State does not do accountability, not only on the issue of health but on all issues - the bankers, those in high places and the politicians. If we consider the different tribunals, there is no accountability. We, in Sinn Féin, say this needs to stop. We need to see accountability and action. The refusal of this House to discuss the future of Mr. Tony O'Brien and of the Government and the Minister to call on him to resign show that nothing has changed. The parcel of accountability is passed around and around. We will see Mr. O'Brien sailing into the sunset with his pension in retirement and the health service that he will leave behind him is in a dire position, with many people left in a terrible position as a result of the latest scandal of misdiagnosis.

I point to some cases in my constituency which show where the health system is at. People are waiting two years for a diabetes recall appointment. Letterkenny University Hospital requires an allocation of €1.8 million. It asked the Minister for that allocation last year to enable it to open its short-stay ward, which would accommodate 19 beds, instead of having patients on trolleys. It has a maternity theatre that was built in 2000, but the Minister and Mr. O'Brien have refused to commission it. It lies idle and empty, just like the short-stay ward. We have 12 beds in the community hospital that are closed. Why? The answer is because there are no staff to cover them. Since 2015, 41 beds have been closed. To add to the nightmare and scandal that is unfolding, we have found out today that the HSE completely misinformed the State Claims Agency when it stated during the Vicky Phelan case that all the women had been informed of their misdiagnosis. We found out two weeks ago that 162 women had not been. Therefore, somebody is lying; somebody is covering up and the person who must be held accountable is the person at the top. Therefore, the Minister should do his job and tell Mr. O'Brien it is time to go.

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