Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is clear the centre will not open from 8 a.m. until midnight, although perhaps the Minister can confirm to me that he expects it to open at those times.

With regard to consultants in paediatric emergency medicine, paediatric radiology, histopathology, haematology and orthopaedics, those are areas where, if we do not have the requisite number of consultants, we will not be able to run the service. Equally, if are taking those consultants from either Temple Street or Crumlin hospital, what we are effectively doing is taking that service away and shuffling people around. We will still have backlogs, waiting lists and intolerable working conditions for consultants.

I met the consultants who are sceptical about the level of recruitment. The Minister cited a figure of six consultants in emergency medicine. I do not believe that number will actually start and my estimate is that it will be closer to four. If those consultants are taken from the other hospitals, effectively, we are just shuffling around the deckchairs but there will be no improvement in service. I fully respect the projected figures but, in truth, and I know the Minister will not disagree with me on this, they will be nothing but a pipe dream if we do not have the staff to deliver them. I do not believe the staff will be there and if the plan is to take them from the other hospitals, I do not believe we will see any material difference.

Specifically, will the Minister tell me if he has confidence that this service will open from 8 a.m. until midnight? A lot of downgrading of services will happen in the other hospitals, which are depending on this service being open from 8 a.m. until midnight.

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