Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for allowing me to raise this issue. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, for being in the Chamber and for his engagement on this issue over the past week. As the Minister of State is aware, on 31 May last, which was the Friday of the June bank holiday weekend, temporary and agency staff who are currently employed at Belmullet District Hospital were notified by text message that their contracts would not be renewed when they expired. Three of the contracts in question were due to expire within two weeks of that date. Some of these staff have been working in Belmullet for many years. Many of them have been based there for more than two years. They started off as agency staff before being given temporary HSE contracts. Some of them were recruited earlier this year because of the level of demand for services at Belmullet District Hospital. That very fact gives the lie to the claim by senior HSE management that this facility is overstaffed.

All of the staff at Belmullet District Hospital and the adjoining Áras Deirbhle centre have given selfless service over the years. They have put patients and their families first. Since Belmullet District Hospital and Áras Deirbhle opened, they have had a tradition of putting patients' interests first. The care and attention provided at these centres is respected and supported within the community, as shown by the attendance of hundreds of people at a public meeting on Monday night that was organised by our colleague, Senator Conway-Walsh, to show support for the staff in question. Since 31 May, the temporary staff have been told they will be redeployed within the HSE network, but that is not very simple. As Belmullet and Erris are quite far away from other HSE facilities, such as Ballina District Hospital, St. Fionnan's unit in Achill and the McBride unit in Westport, some staff may face 100-mile round-trips to do their jobs at such locations. Staff who are not particularly well paid cannot be asked to take on additional fuel costs. What if staff members do not have access to transport? As the Minister of State knows, public transport is not an option in rural areas. The agency staff continue to be in limbo despite the service, care and attention they have given. They do not know where they will stand in terms of their employment prospects this time next week.

When I challenged HSE management on the impact of these staff reductions on bed numbers, they said the situation is under review. They also said the current number of beds is sufficient, but that is not true. Any analysis will show that the demand for beds in Belmullet is bigger than the number of beds currently being used. GPs do not have the right to access Belmullet District Hospital. Last weekend, this resulted in a patient having to be admitted into an acute bed at Mayo University Hospital even though four beds were available in Belmullet. That is happening all the time. One of the things being cited by HSE management is that the overrun of approximately €5 million in older people's services has to be paid for. Why are the people of Belmullet and Erris having to pay for that? What is the overrun in the acute bed budget because of the inability to use community hospitals like Belmullet District Hospital to their maximum potential? Respite beds are not being made available in Belmullet even though funds were raised for those beds locally. This was done with care and attention by families that want to use respite.

I would like to emphasise the geography of this issue. Those who want to avail of respite services will not want their loved ones to be two or three hours away from them. They will want respite in the community. The concept and the model here involves care in the community. Asking people to go so far away for basic care cannot be allowed. There is a great deal of potential in this complex. Physiotherapy is not being provided. X-ray services are erratic. The staff have established a committee from Belmullet District Hospital and Áras Deirbhle with a local action committee and local representatives, including myself; the Minister, Deputy Ring; Senators Conway-Walsh and Swanick; and local GPs. We want to work with the Minister of State on a plan for the development of the facilities in the locality.

4 o’clock

The Minister of State has committed to visiting the hospital, but when is that going to happen? Will the Minister give a commitment about the working conditions of the affected staff at Belmullet hospital, who do not know where they are going to be working next? Will he ask the HSE to freeze any changes until the Minister of State has the chance to visit the unit? Will he ask HSE management to engage with us properly in developing Belmullet Community Hospital?

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