Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also want to sympathise with Deputy Collins.

Dia is Muire dhaoibh, agus míle buíochas to the Rural Independent Group for bringing forward this motion. I welcome the opportunity to speak on it. Yet again, the fact that the Government is failing when it comes to the health service has been laid bare. Rural health services are struggling to cope - not because of the dedicated and overworked people involved, and we must thank them - because the Government has abandoned local health services. Chronic underfunding by successive Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil Governments has decimated the number of GPs, dentists, public health nurses, occupational therapists, etc., available to provide services. As a result, people have been left in need of services. Waiting lists have got worse and people are not able to access services at all. For example, in my constituency of Kildare South, one poor woman in her 80s, who is the sole carer for her severely disabled son who is himself in his 50s, in absolute desperation contacted me for help. My staff and I had to fight tooth and nail to get a hoist to help her lift him out of bed, not to mention the battle we had to get respite care to give her a break. Why? There was no community care available for this woman and her son because the Government has failed to fund it, failed to plan for it and failed to deliver it. Imagine an elderly woman at that age with no care and saving the State a fortune. It is absolutely unreal.

We need more GPs in rural areas so people do not have to travel miles to get a doctor. We need more occupational therapists, OTs, in rural areas in order that our elderly people do not have to wait for months for occupational therapy reports to allow them to access vital disability aids or home adaptations. They are waiting months to have their homes adapted. What we need are more GPs directly employed. We need more OTs, public health nurses and dentists. The list goes on.

I am going to finish on this. The Minister of State mentioned that there has been an increase of €230 million, or 41%, in funding in comparison with 2019. Where is the value for that money? Yesterday, I had a little girl who is 12 years of age and who needs to have her tonsils removed. She was told that the waiting list will be three years but that if her parents could pay €1,700, she could have the procedure in Clane next Wednesday. That is incredible.

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