Charles Ward (Donegal, 100% Redress Party) | Oireachtas source

I wish the Minister and the Minister of State success in their time going forward. We may be making progress in terms of healthcare outcomes in Ireland overall, but there is no doubt that there is an enormous disparity between the north west and the rest of the country when it comes to access to healthcare and healthcare outcomes. In Donegal we are years behind the rest of the country in terms of healthcare that we are able to provide. Letterkenny University Hospital is in dire need of an upgrade to equal funding that reflects the needs of my constituents. The service and capacity of the hospital have required significant improvement for years now but this call has been ignored time and time again. Earlier this month, a report published by the European Commission showed that Ireland has the second highest rate of new cancer diagnoses in the EU. The report stated that people in the most deprived areas, such as the north west, faced an average of 43% higher risk of mortality within five years following a cancer diagnosis, due to limited healthcare resources. It has emerged this week that Letterkenny University Hospital has the worst cancer treatment wait times in the west and north west. It is an absolute disgrace that only 31% of newly diagnosed cancer patients in Letterkenny University Hospital begin their cancer treatment within the recommended time of 15 working days. This is compared to 62% in Galway, 76% in Sligo and 100% in Mayo who begin their treatment within the recommended timeframe. It is outrageous that patients waiting on their first chemotherapy appointments in Letterkenny wait on average 22 days before they can begin.

Last month patients in the accident and emergency department in Letterkenny University Hospital were forced to wait for 24 hours before they were seen. On many occasions appointments have been cancelled due to overcrowding in the hospital. More than 2,000 appointments were cancelled in 2024 and 800 have been cancelled this year alone, which is unacceptable. The people in Donegal deserve equal access to healthcare. Living in Donegal should not be a health risk, as it currently is. We must address the wait times in Letterkenny as a matter of urgency and improve our cancer care under the Minister's watch in this term.

The intensive care unit in Letterkenny also needs a major upgrade to ensure it is safe and working effectively. It is in serious need of a minor injuries unit to relieve the accident and emergency unit. If that comes to pass, we will see it change. Before being elected I was a healthcare worker and so I know what is going on on the ground. I am asking the Minister to prioritise this, come up to Donegal and look at it. During her term she can change this and she can turn Letterkenny around, which would probably be her greatest achievement.

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