Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

People across County Donegal are proud of their community hospitals. Those who work in them provide a tremendous service to people within their community. The last Government decided, in 2016, to close the long-stay beds in St. Joseph's in Stranorlar, Ramelton and Lifford and that they would not be reopened. It is only because of the work that has been carried out since then by the "Save our St. Joseph's" action group under the leadership of Fr. John Joe Duffy and community hospital action groups in Ramelton and Lifford that the Government has reversed its policy position on closing the three hospitals. We still do not have a hard and fast commitment from the Government on funding, or a start on the work at St. Joseph's and Ramelton hospitals that the Government has committed to in theory in order to bring them up to HIQA standards.

The Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, was very sensitive when I raised the issue with him in the House last week. He claimed not to understand Donegal politics after I brought to his attention the march which was attended by Deputies Gallagher, Pearse Doherty and other public representatives and local community members in the Stranorlar and Ballybofey areas. The Minister of State and his colleagues, the Minister of State, Deputy Finian McGrath, who is present, and the Minister for Health, need to show they will come forward and stop the types of false promises we have seen in the past and deliver the funding to ensure these hospitals are brought up to HIQA standards and those long-stay beds are secured for the future. We also need to increase the capacity of long-stay beds within our community hospital sector in Donegal in order to meet the demand that will arise in the years ahead.

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