Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I too thank the Independent Group for tabling this motion and giving us a chance to debate it in the House. I want to concentrate specifically on Mayo University Hospital because what is happening there is really dire. It is getting worse day by day. Some 212 appointments were cancelled in just the first three months of this year. This is an increase of 136 compared with the same period last year. A couple of weeks ago, more than 170 patients attended the emergency department, which is 30% higher than the average attendance.

The capacity just is not there. We have announcement after announcement from Government Deputies. I cannot understand this carry-on. We have three Government Deputies in Mayo and they go on the radio and call on the Minister. I really feel like saying it is a pity they are not in government. They are not doing anything about it. They are bystanders in the situation. They are watching it happen. They are watching the staff in Mayo University Hospital being run into the ground. They are watching patients on trolleys. They are watching people with their lives in danger and their lives at risk. They are watching many other patients who should go to the hospital but do not because they do not want to put pressure on the staff and they are afraid of what they facing. Yet we have Government Deputies going around the country calling on the Minister and the Taoiseach to do things.

We have been promised an emergency department there for a long time. It has been announced 1 million times and we still do not have it. Beds in Belmullet Community Hospital were shut down as were others beds in Ballina hospital and Swinford District Hospital. What was expected to happen when all of these beds were shut down? There is no place for people to go. This health system has been designed and constructed by people. We have a whole load of money being wasted on agency staff because contracts are not being given. The very hard-working staff in the system are not given decent contracts. What is going on is absolutely crazy and people are tired of it.

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