Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)

There are only two of us raising this matter. Deputy Gallagher sends his apologies. He got called away yesterday.

As the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, knows, the surgical hub is a key issue in Donegal. The hub has to be delivered in Letterkenny. It is not just a case of trying to ensure we have the resources in the county. We have heard from an unprecedented number of doctors, surgeons and consultants in Letterkenny hospital and they have told us that without the surgical hub there, they are at serious risk of losing accident and emergency services and maternity services within a short period. That is why they and all the politicians in Donegal have come together and made it very clear that we need to see a surgical hub delivered in Letterkenny. This would not be to the detriment of Sligo – we believe the north-west region has been left behind for far too long – but there has to be a location in Letterkenny.

Last Friday, on local radio, we had the Minister for State, Deputy Harkin, who, as we know, was part of the grubby deal with Deputy Lowry to put this Government in place, stated on Highland Radio with Greg Hughes that she secured the location of the surgical hub in Sligo as part of that deal. That is news to us, the TDs who sat across the table from the Minister for about an hour and a half making the case for the surgical hub because the Minister will eventually be the person who decides on the location. It is news to us, having sat repeatedly in meetings with the HSE arguing the toss about why the surgical hub should be in Letterkenny. I am sure it was news to the 160-plus surgeons, consultants and doctors who signed the letter making very reasonable medical arguments for the locations.

I want the Minister of State to come clean today. Has the Department ascertained whether there is any secret deal in respect of the location of this surgical hub? That clarity is needed. Has the Minister approached Deputy Marian Harkin to get clarity in this regard? I would like the Minister for Health to listen to the concerns of the TDs here. As I said, Deputy Gallagher would have liked to have been here as well. This is a cross-party issue because the issues in Donegal are so important. As I said to the Minister, if she makes the decision based on the facts, there is no doubt that the surgical hub will be located in Letterkenny. We need that decision urgently but, most importantly, we need the right decision.

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