Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

A serious issue has arisen in Wexford. Unfortunately, the Minister for Health stated on local radio yesterday that following the fire at Wexford General Hospital, the emergency department is going to reopen tomorrow. This information was subsequently posted on Facebook by a number of people, including me. Many people contacted me to sate that it is not true. I received letter from the manager of the hospital, Linda O'Leary, to say that the emergency department will not be reopening tomorrow. All I am asking for now is clarity. I have already agreed with the Minister that we will work together as a political team in order to ensure that the emergency department will reopen in a timely fashion. We evacuated the hospital in jig time, very professionally and without incident, thank God. I do not want this matter to turn into a political battle. We need clarity. We do not need the department to be downgraded to a minor injuries clinic; we need it to reopen.

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