Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have the chance to address the Ministers of State this evening and highlight a few things I am concerned about. I will start with the recruitment freeze on home helps. Things were bad enough with the home help situation in County Kerry before this. I am asking for that to be dealt with positively. A new problem is arising with fair deal in that the HSE is refusing to sanction people for it, even though they are living alone, are in their mid-80s, have serious health problems and cannot manage in their homes alone. The HSE has refused in at least six instances to sign off and say people were entitled to go forward for fair deal. That is terrible. Elderly people in their 80s are being refused fair deal. I cannot understand it. Are they short of money or what, coming up to the end of the year?

I am asking again for a minor injuries unit for Killarney, either on the site of the old district hospital or the St. Columbanus Home, both of which are shortly merging into the new community hospital in Killarney, and we are thankful for it.

We also have to deal with the lack of GPs. Refugees are arriving into our country at the rate of 200 each day. It is as manifest in Kerry and Killarney as much as everywhere else. There will have to be more GPs to deal with those people. It is only fair we provide them and they will have to be got somewhere. There is more pressure now on our accident and emergency departments because the doctors cannot manage. Even SouthDoc after hours is under tremendous pressure. Where do people finish up only in the accident and emergency department in University Hospital Kerry in Tralee?

Another issue is section 39 workers. Some kind of deal has been arrived at but is not finalised yet. I am calling for complete parity of pay and conditions. There is no other way about it. They are entitled because they are doing the same work as HSE workers. They are trained and skilled staff.

I also want to raise the issue of St. Mary of the Angels. It is not taking in any new residents. It is closing down by stealth because anyone who dies, which has happened today, sadly, is not being replaced. This site is a wonderful place and campus. There are so many facilities there. I am asking for single units to be built on the campus of St. Mary of the Angels for people who need this residential care.

That is the way to get around the decongregation model the Government wants to arrive at.

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