Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak to the motion and thank my colleagues from County Meath for enabling it. The downgrading of services is well known to people in Munster. I encourage people from the Meath area to look at what happened in Ennis and Nenagh, where there was a downgrading of services, staff shortages, the closure of units and the promise of a centre of excellence in Limerick. Last week, a HSE report outlined serious problems in Limerick hospital relating to patient flow, inpatients, dignity and privacy for patients and staffing levels, yet the two hospitals in counties Clare and Tipperary were downgraded and services put in there.

I heard the Minister quoted on the radio yesterday, although I am not sure whether it was accurate, as saying there was a fear due to the current climate that operations will be postponed due to Covid, but that is already happening in University Hospital Kerry. For the past seven weeks, elective surgeries have been suffering because of a lack of staff and early closing hours, and the number of day procedures has reduced. Moreover, trolley numbers have increased by ten times on the figure in 2012, and by 40% year-on-year to last December.

Over the weekend, I spoke to a former neighbour of mine in Rock Street, Tralee, who has ulcerated feet. He is suffering because he cannot see a podiatrist, given there is no podiatrist in all of Kerry. He has to travel to Cork twice a month to see someone there, spending €100. On occasion, he has been on the way at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. and has got a text message to tell him he will have to return. He relies on the community services and his GP. Part of his toe fell off on Thursday night and he spent 12 hours waiting for an ambulance before he was seen, after which he was sent back to the same services as before.

There is a fear in Kerry that services will be downgraded. I urge my colleagues up the country to ensure that will not happen in Navan.

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