Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Harkin and I, and in fairness all of the other Deputies in our constituency, have been talking about cath lab services for Sligo since I was elected to the House in 2016. It was a one to two day a week service in a mobile unit. It was totally inadequate and not doing the job. I remember speaking to the cardiologist in the hospital, Dr. Murray, and he told me that when he retires, it will be very difficult to get another cardiologist because nobody will want to work in a hospital that does not have the diagnostic services. Despite this, we are now not only talking about the poor and inadequate service we had but about that service being taken away entirely. It is an absolute disgrace that this is happening. Deputy Harkin spoke about a line between Dublin and Galway. There is nothing above that line. What are the people of the north west supposed to do? Where are the answers here? It is just unbelievable.

Last December, I submitted a written question on this matter and was told that a national review of specialist cardiac services under the chairmanship of Professor Philip Nolan was continuing. That started in 2018. We are now in 2022 and the inadequate service we have is being taken away. Prior to that, in 2013, the HSE in the north west carried out a review of cardiac services and indicated that there should be a full, proper, permanent service put in place in Sligo University Hospital. Here we are, almost ten years later, and the inadequate service that was there, which was useless for anyone who happened to suffer a cardiac arrest or other problem on the wrong day of the week, is now being taken away. It is beyond belief that this is happening. I have not read the Minister of State's response yet but the serious problem we had until now has become a serious crisis. The Government has to have a long-term solution to this, which is to put a full and proper service in place, but it must also immediately ensure that the poor and inadequate service we have now is at least kept in place until a full and proper service is provided.

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