Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise to the Minister of State; I am recovering from laryngitis but I really wanted to raise this issue. It is a crucial issue concerning how a 17-year-old, a young person who is a child under Irish law, was treated at an emergency department at the weekend. I received a message from a constituent at the weekend outlining how this young person cut the top off his finger. He was brought to NoWDOC in Carrick-on-Shannon, but it was closed and his sibling drove him to Sligo hospital. He was bandaged there and told to go to Galway. They drove to Galway, which at this point was 145 km away, and arrived there at about 9 p.m. that night. When he arrived in Galway, he had the other part of his finger with him on ice and in a plastic bag. He was told that there was no one to see him at the hospital. He was in excruciating pain and was told he could either go home and come back the next morning at 7 a.m. or that he could get bed and breakfast accommodation as no trolleys were available.

The family had to drive back to Carrick-on-Shannon. His dad said they were on their way home none the wiser, with the lad with half a finger home with him and the other half left in a fridge in Galway hospital. It was 115 km back to Carrick-on-Shannon, another 115 km back to Galway in the morning, and then another 115 km back that afternoon. It was almost 500 km in total. Apart from the fact that nobody should be turned away from hospital, a child was turned away. I do not know what the Minister of State thinks but I think this is completely and totally unacceptable. I hope this will be dealt with by the Minister for Health. It is a pity he is not here tonight but I am glad the Minister of State is present.

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