Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I wish to ask the Minister of State, Deputy Catherine Byrne, if this is what the Fine Gael recovery is about, that 27 medical step-down and respite beds in St. Mary's Hospital in the Phoenix Park will be closed by July. Staff have been told that will happen. Essentially, the reason is cost containment, in other words, cutbacks.

As Deputy Jack Chambers outlined, the patients who are catered for in the facility are from many hospitals, which will also be affected by the closure, for example, Connolly Hospital, the Mater hospital, and patients in need of emergency admission for social or other reasons. A significant number of patients are admitted for blood transfusions, treatment for infections, dementia, wounds, malnutrition and rehabilitation. In the absence of those beds, patients will have to remain in accident and emergency departments, adding to the acute crisis in them, and waiting on trolleys.

One member of staff who contacted me about the proposed closure of the unit, because they were so concerned, said they had no doubt some patients would die waiting for care. The effect on patients is obvious, but there will also be an effect on staff. We have just witnessed a major strike by nurses and midwives who were told that their conditions were of concern to the Government and the situation at St. Mary's Hospital will add to their demoralisation. When one combines this with the cuts to the home care package, people see it as a stark contrast to the overspends we hear about every week at the national children's hospital. In the past the Minister argued that bed closures were necessary, even though that was never the case. The top 300 in this country have €87 billion in wealth between them. It has increased 10% on last year. Meanwhile, ordinary, elderly patients are suffering this kind of humiliation in hospitals.

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