Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will add my voice to this on behalf of the three rural Independents who are up the midlands, where we are. The problem is historic. The new 96-bed unit is supposed to be there. That sod was turned by the then Minister, Mary Harney, 20 bliain ó shin. The HSE is a failure. It has badly failed Limerick people and the people of north Tipperary.

I salute Independent councillor Séamie Morris on the work he does and the other people of Nenagh who resisted the closure of the accident and emergency units in Nenagh and in St. John's Hospital. We are told this will be a centre of excellence in Limerick, but it is chaotic and people have been left on trolleys. The trolley crisis is unimaginable there and there is stress and trauma on staff, families and everybody else. We need a whole sea change here. We need a clean-out of management and a re-evaluation. We need to reopen St. John's and the perfect unit in Nenagh.

People are shouting now. Deputy Kelly made his career out of the closure of Nenagh. Deputy Lowry supported it at the time and here we are. People have been denuded of the services. We do not have mental health beds in County Tipperary. The Minister of State has responsibility for mental health. We have to go either to Ennis or Kilkenny.

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