Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that this is a scripted answer but I must point out that there is very little relating to the issues I raised today. The one small token concerns what I am talking about, which is the ED and in respect of which we are given figures for 2009, which is nearly ten years ago. I know the Minister for Health visited the hospital recently to open the fantastic new cystic fibrosis outpatient unit. However, somebody standing in the ED in Cavan General Hospital would see that all of the issues I have outlined to the Minister of State are accurate and in no way exaggerated. People walk in the door and are straight into reception. They must give their personal details right across the counter and the entire room is obliged to listen to them. We are talking about personal details about their family, age and date of birth, all of the information that someone would never discuss with a total stranger, least of all in an ED.

Apart from all that, we are talking about 32,000 patients in terms of the footfall for the accident and emergency department in Cavan General Hospital. This department services a huge region, not just County Cavan. As the Minister of State clearly outlined, Monaghan Hospital lost its ED. Since then, the minor injury unit, which is a fantastic facility, has had its hours reduced. Therefore, Cavan General Hospital, particularly in the context of the ED, is crying out for investment and expansion. These are not my words. They are the words of the staff and patients who attend the ED. It is my understanding that the RCSI group has submitted an application. It was hoping for capital funding investment from the Government. I also understand that there is no mention of Cavan General Hospital in the national development plan, which does not bode well for people living in the Border region who depend on the ED in Cavan General Hospital to service a huge area. I accept that it works hand in hand with the minor injury unit but the latter also has very limited opening hours. In general, who as a fall or breaks his or her arm between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.? Those kind of things generally happen after hours or at weekends. I ask the Minister of State to respond to the specific questions I asked. Will the Department grant the application that has been made by the RCSI hospital group? Will it extend the opening hours in the minor injury unit in Monaghan General Hospital? Will the Minister and Minister of State meet with the Dempsey family, which had such a horrific experience based on the ambulance response times in Monaghan?

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