Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State's colleague, the Minister for Health, is not here. At the Business Committee last Thursday, I made it clear this Private Members' business would be on hospitals, relevant to that Minister. He has not given any apologies to our colleague and spokesperson on health, Deputy Cullinane. It is really disrespectful. What is happening in our health service is having a profound impact across the country on families and is incredibly cruel on the doctors and nurses carrying this impossible burden because they do not have the necessary supports.

We are extremely concerned about Letterkenny University Hospital in Donegal. We are extremely concerned about conditions in the emergency department and the lack of doctors, nurses and beds and have raised it year in, year out. What has happened in recent days is shocking. We had a situation where we had one consultant endocrinologist dealing with a massive burden of diabetes patients in Donegal. The clinical advice is the waiting time for an appointment should be six months for an adult with diabetes, and that is long enough. In Donegal, they are waiting 24 months, which is extremely dangerous. All the work on diabetes shows earlier intervention and more supports going in mean less impact down the line. We had one consultant endocrinologist working his socks off. Recently, we had a second one appointed who, within weeks, resigned. Now, the existing consultant endocrinologist is going too. We are without a support service of any substance in Letterkenny hospital. People were waiting 24 months and now they could be waiting even longer. This is a crisis.

The Donegal branch of Diabetes Ireland spoke out about this yesterday. Its representatives met with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, when he was last in Donegal. I appeal to the Minister of State to speak to the Minister to make him aware of what the Donegal branch is appealing for: an urgent intervention from the Minister with the hospital to make sure there are necessary diabetes care supports. It is urgent at this stage.

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