Ruairí Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As Deputy Cullinane said, we will support this legislation. It is absolutely required in the context of the risk equalisation system. We all know people who, at times, cannot afford health insurance but who believe it is the only way in which they can keep themselves and their families safe. Even when they cannot afford it, therefore, they do everything they can to cut back with a view to paying for private health insurance. In 2022, that was 47% of people, a huge percentage, which tells us we have a two-tiered system that is not working for people. As much as we support the legislation, therefore, we really need to make those moves towards something closer to a national health service. Obviously, we would like that to be designed and operated on a 32-county basis but we definitely need something better than what we are dealing with.

As Deputy Cullinane noted, we are dealing with the health service and while there may be certain things the Government would like to point to in respect of added services it has been operating in the past while, anybody who works in the health service, whether that is someone in management or someone who works at the coalface, will tell you that what such people are seeing at the moment, not least with the escalation of the recruitment embargo, is risk, risk, risk. We are talking about 7,000 essential posts being scrapped. We all know the issues that exist in the health service, such as the huge waiting lists and issues with EDs, so we have an absolute fear regarding how this disaster funding model the Government is or is not operating impacts on patients.

We will only know in the near future whether we are talking about the loss of beds or whatever else from a system that is constantly under pressure. We have been talking about how we do not have those essential posts in those essential services. It is only a week or two since I was in the Chamber debating the issues in home care with the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister for Health. Louth County Hospital is fine as a step-down facility but we do not have the capacity. Likewise, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, is under significant pressure to try to get people out of there. People are, at times, under a great deal of pressure to get their family members out, in some cases to go into nursing homes because we do not have the home care facilities and because we do not have that step-down facility to the degree we would like to see it.

As I have said previously in the context of community care, the orthodontic care system in Louth County Hospital is, again, not able to deliver. A huge number of people are on the 5A list, that is, the more critical of the lists, and while kids in category 4, which is not quite the same set of circumstances, are being dealt with in Beacon Hospital at the moment, that is being paid for by the HSE. As welcome as that is for those parents, parents of children in more abject need are wondering what the problem is. That needs to be dealt with. As part of the issue is there is only one orthodontic consultant in Dundalk, I do not foresee these issues being rectified as we are in the middle of this recruitment freeze. Separately, I have sent a note to the Minister regarding an IT issue. Old IT systems are being used here and that needs to be rectified. I have heard that the new laptop systems are lying in Dublin, so that is one issue where, I hope, action will be taken although, as far as I am aware, it has not yet been.

I have raised with the Taoiseach an issue with the ambulance service. On Friday, 10 November, a 93-year-old woman in Dundalk had to wait from 5.20 p.m. to 9.05 p.m. in abject pain. The ambulance arrived at 9.05 p.m. and there was a great deal of over-and-back with the family. She was brought to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and diagnosed with a fractured pelvis and a kidney infection. You can imagine the pain she was in. She lives in Dundalk, very close to where the ambulance station is. Those who work in the ambulance service talk about issues with rosters, facilities and systems. That needs to be addressed.

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