Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This issue was raised repeatedly in the Dáil, so why did it take a protected disclosure for the Minister to meet the staff? What is actually changing? We can list out reams of statistics. The Taoiseach spoke about changes over 20 years, but the single greatest change over those 20 years has been that people in Clare no longer want to be brought to that hospital. That is a major change. People on the street and in the countryside do not have confidence in the hospital and NCHDs do not want to work in it.

At this stage, it should be evident that the hospital is not working. We can pour as much water as we want into a leaking bucket or throw as much money as we want at a system that does not work, but none of that will improve matters. I do not want to speak about individuals, but will the hospital's management structures be examined? Until we do that, the profound change required will not happen.

See this speech in context