Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

With a sleight of hand, the Minister of State has tried to give the impression that the patients will be released on a phased basis. However, that will be the end of the ward. The Department is not even going to try to refurbish it if safety is really its concern. The staff member who alerted us to this is very experienced and has worked at St. Mary's for several years. As long as she has been there, the staff have heard about this safety issue, but they were told there was no money to refurbish. Now there is plenty of money. It was pointed out that there is no need for any patient to lose a bed or for patients not to be catered for because there are empty wards throughout the hospital. With very little work people could be put into them. However, the Minister for Health has decided that these 27 beds will be phased out or closed down. There has been no mention of refurbishment or updating them. Some 300 people are catered for in this unit. That 300 will have an impact on other hospitals. One of the fears is that they will no longer be able to have the transfusions carried out in the Mater Hospital and that the hospital will lose the link with the Mater Hospital, which will impact on the small hospital overall.

The Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, was mentioned. It is a pity he is not present. He is probably off getting his picture taken at one of these facilities, as I have seen him do in Clonakilty and other places. However, the current residents in the Phoenix Park will not be able to stay there.

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