Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)

There are 121 people in the HR department in the south west. The Minister talks about progressing this Bill, but I believe it is bluff and smoke and mirrors. It is trying to pretend that there will be proper accountability and value for money in the HSE. Even though 121 people are working in the HR department in the south west, €250,000 was paid to private consultants in 2023. Who brought this private form in and why was it brought in? Why is this work not being done by the staff there? They are capable and well able to do their jobs.

This is like so many other issues within the HSE. We cannot get answers or accountability. The HSE refuses to answer straightforward and simple questions. I asked who had made the decision to close SouthDoc in Blackpool in Cork. I received an answer through freedom of information that the head of primary care did not know who had sanctioned it. She did not know who made the decision. I then asked the head of the HSE in the south west but he did not know who had made the decision. I spent two months writing letters trying to find answers and I still cannot get one. The HSE is paying full whack to SouthDoc even though SouthDoc in Blackpool is closed. This is not me saying it. The figures I received from the Department say it. The people of the northside in Cork North-Central cannot get access to an out-of-hours service unless they drive across the city. The Minister is talking about accountability and transparency. These are the facts on the ground.

Turning to primary care centres and value for money, Fine Gael has wanted to privatise everything since coming to power. Over €20 million will be paid over the next 20 years for Ballincollig primary care centre, yet the State will not own it. We still have no primary care centres in Blarney, Mayfield and Glanmire. They have been hit by delay after delay. They have also been privately contracted. From what I can see, no primary care centres will be delivered in Cork unless it is by a private contractor.

I thank all the front-line workers - doctors, nurses, other medical staff, people in the canteen and cleaners - in every section of our hospitals. Fortunately, I survived sepsis and cancer in recent years and, touch wood, I will be able to keep going. The workers have done brilliant work. When someone seriously ill gets into the system, he or she will be taken care of but an uncle of mine died recently who suffered four years of pain. His name was John McCarthy. He is survived by his wife Noreen and his sons John, Mark and Stephen. He suffered in pain for four years. I wrote to the HSE and the Mercy hospital. One month before he died, I got correspondence telling me that John was not a priority and that his case was not severe. Four weeks later, he was dead. There needs to be accountability and transparency for John, his family and all the other people who, unfortunately, are failed by the HSE.

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